Rays beat Guardians to win ALCS and reach World Series

The Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians 7-3 in Game 6 on Monday, winning the American League Championship Series in six games and advancing to the World Series against the Milwaukee Brewers. The victory secured Tampa Bay’s third American League pennant and another chance to win its first World Series title. Junior Caminero hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning, his first career postseason homer, helping the Rays extend their lead. He finished 2-for-3 with a walk. Yandy Díaz also hit a two-run homer, in the eighth, after Cleveland had narrowed the score to 5-3. The Rays built their early advantage with a two-run double by Richie Palacios in the second inning and a sacrifice fly by Jonny DeLuca in the third. Freddy Peralta allowed one run over 5⅓ innings and earned the ALCS Most Valuable Player award. Tampa Bay closed out the game with three consecutive wins in the series. After the game, Caminero addressed Rays fans with a phrase that recalled LeBron James’s declaration after the Cleveland Cavaliers won the 2016 NBA Finals: “Tampa, this is for you.” The similarity drew attention because the Rays had just eliminated Cleveland. The reports do not establish whether...