Tampa Bay defeated Cleveland to win the American League pennant and will face the Milwaukee Brewers for the championship.
The Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Cleveland Guardians 7-3 on Monday, Oct. 19, 2026, in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series, securing the American League pennant in front of a sold-out crowd at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. The win sends Tampa Bay to the World Series to play the Milwaukee Brewers.
How Game 6 unfolded
Fox News reported that Richie Palacios gave Tampa Bay an early lead in the bottom of the second inning with a two-out double that drove in two runs. An inning later, Jonny DeLuca brought home another run with a sacrifice fly to make it 3-0, according to NBC News. Cleveland scored a run in the sixth inning to pull within 3-1, but the Rays answered in the seventh. Junior Caminero pulled an inside pitch off the left field foul pole for a two-run home run, giving Tampa Bay a 5-1 advantage.
Cleveland scored two runs in the top of the eighth inning to cut the margin to 5-3. The Rays countered in the bottom half when Yandy Diaz hit a 416-foot two-run home run over the left field wall to stretch the lead to 7-3. Rays closer Bryan Baker took the mound in the ninth inning, getting Steven Kwan and Jose Ramirez to ground out to first base before Chase DeLauter popped out in foul territory to end the game.
How both teams reached the Fall Classic
Cleveland held a 2-1 lead earlier in the American League Championship Series before Tampa Bay won three straight games. The Rays took Game 4 and Game 5 on the road before returning to St. Petersburg to clinch the pennant in Game 6. In the divisional round, Tampa Bay swept the New York Yankees. The Rays entered Monday having allowed 1.0 walks and hits per inning pitched in the postseason, with Drew Rasmussen giving up three earned runs across three playoff appearances.
Milwaukee reached the World Series after winning 103 games during the regular season, the highest total in Major League Baseball. In the National League Division Series, the Brewers beat Padres before sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers in four games in the NLCS. Starting pitcher Jacob Misirowski led Milwaukee’s rotation with a 16-5 record, a 1.80 ERA and 250 strikeouts. Outfielder Jackson Chourio hit .291 with a .351 on-base percentage and .487 slugging percentage in the regular season, along with a .367 postseason batting average, Fox Sports reported.
Turnaround from low payrolls and storm repairs
Both clubs advanced to the World Series while working with smaller budgets than many competitors. Tampa Bay had the third-lowest payroll in the league, while Milwaukee ranked 19th. The teams faced each other three times during the opening week of the regular season, with Milwaukee winning two of those games.
The pennant followed two difficult seasons for Tampa Bay, which finished fourth in the American League East with sub-.500 records in both 2023 and 2024. Tropicana Field lost its roof in October 2024 during Hurricane Milton, leaving the team without its venue until a $60 million roof replacement was finished. The Rays didn’t host games in the ballpark again until August.
World Series schedule and history
The matchup ensures a first-time World Series winner. The last franchise to win its first Commissioner’s Trophy was the Texas Rangers in 2023. Tampa Bay previously played in the World Series in 2008 and 2020, while Milwaukee is back for the first time since losing to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1982.
Game 1 begins Friday, Oct. 23, in Milwaukee at 8 p.m. ET. Game 2 is set for Saturday, Oct. 24, also in Milwaukee. The series moves to Tropicana Field for Game 3 on Monday, Oct. 26, Game 4 on Tuesday, Oct. 27, and an if-necessary Game 5 on Wednesday, Oct. 28. If required, Game 6 will take place in Milwaukee on Friday, Oct. 30, followed by Game 7 on Saturday, Oct. 31. FOX will broadcast every game, with streaming available through FOX One, FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports app.
