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CLEVELAND — Much of the Guardians' pitching strategy had centered on neutralizing the top three hitters in the Tampa Bay lineup. For the first three games of the ALCS, that plan worked. But in Game 4 on Thursday, the Rays' vaunted trio broke through, powering a 7-3 victory that evened the series at 2-2.
Game 5 is scheduled for 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18, at Progressive Field.
In Game 4, the top three in the Rays' order—Jonathan Aranda, Junior Caminero, and Yandy Diaz (excluding Chandler Simpson, who batted third only because Cleveland used Shawn Armstrong as an opener)—combined to go 6-for-14 with a home run, two doubles, five RBIs, four runs scored, and two walks. Aranda and Caminero were instrumental in erasing an early deficit and putting Tampa Bay ahead, while Diaz delivered a two-run homer in the ninth to seal the outcome.
"I mean, they're just good hitters," said Foster Griffin, who pitched three innings in relief of Armstrong. "It was only a matter of time."
Aranda tied the game in the third with an RBI single following a Diaz double. In the sixth, Caminero's double gave the Rays a lead they would not relinquish. Caminero also drilled a ball to the deepest part of the ballpark that was caught by Petey Halpin as he crashed into the wall, but by then the damage had been done.
"They're three of the best hitters in the league," Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. "That's a tough trio there to get through. We didn't execute against them tonight like we had talked about pregame. The first three games, felt like we executed really well against those guys, and we just didn't tonight. And they made us pay."
Key Analysis
The loss forces the Guardians into a must-win mindset for Game 5, with no off days remaining in the series due to the Oct. 16 rainout. Parker Messick is set to start for Cleveland opposite Drew Rasmussen for Tampa Bay. The Guardians had a chance to take a commanding 3-1 series lead but now find themselves in a three-game sprint for a World Series berth, where the Milwaukee Brewers await.
"Yeah, you just got to flush it and come back strong tomorrow," said Travis Bazzana, who hit his first career playoff home run in the loss. "I think we've been in situations where it gets tough, it gets tighter, it gets harder a little closer to the end of the season and you just got to fight for that next win and be present tomorrow. We've seen this kind of situation before, and we just got to bounce back."
If Messick can handle Diaz, Aranda, and Caminero in a critical Game 5, the Guardians might be boarding a flight to Tampa Bay with a chance to clinch a World Series spot on Monday, Oct. 19. If not, and that trio continues to produce, Cleveland could be on its heels before the wheels leave the ground. It might be a factor as important as any other in what is now, effectively, a three-game series.
Originally reported by yahoo.