The Guardians and Rays opened their postseason series with a tight game that moved fast and had almost no scoring until the late innings. Shane Bieber carved up Tampa Bay for most of the day, but in the sixth inning, the Rays finally broke through with a solo homer on an outside fastball, taking a quiet 1-0 lead. It wasn’t flashy, but in a game like this, one good swing mattered. Shane McClanahan came out trying to protect the lead, working offspeed junk to right-handed hitters — a steady mix of curveballs and changeups. That approach worked until Jose Ramirez came up.
After a questionable strike call put Ramirez behind in the count, he picked up on the pattern and sat on a changeup. He got it, and he didn’t miss. Two-run homer deep to right gave Cleveland the lead, and the stadium came alive. There was a brief challenge from the Rays, thinking maybe the runner didn’t retouch second base after tagging up, but replay confirmed he did. Ramirez’s swing and timing were perfect, and his reaction showed he knew it. The Guardians handed the ball to Emmanuel Clase to close things out, and he was dominant. Fast sliders, upper-90s cutters, quick outs. The whole game flew by, with most at-bats over in two or three pitches. Small margin of error, but the Guardians took full advantage.