Drew Rasmussen held the Cleveland Guardians to one run over seven innings as the Tampa Bay Rays claimed a 3-1 victory in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series at Progressive Field on Sunday. The win puts Tampa Bay one game away from the World Series.
Rasmussen, who threw 83 pitches, scattered hits and kept Cleveland’s lineup off balance with a mix of fastballs and changeups. After five scoreless innings, he allowed a run in the sixth but responded strongly when manager Kevin Cash left him on the mound to face the bottom of the order in the seventh. Rasmussen induced an inning-ending double play against Patrick Bailey, the Guardians catcher who had tied Game 1 with a solo home run off him, to complete his outing.
The Rays attacked rookie left-hander Parker Messick early, forcing him to throw 31 pitches in the first inning and 26 in the second. Messick struck out Junior Caminero twice with changeups in those frames but struggled with command. Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt pulled Messick after the second inning, bringing in Tim Herrin in the third. Herrin allowed an RBI single by Liam Hicks following a leadoff double from Chandler Simpson, extending Tampa Bay’s lead to 3-0.
Cleveland used six pitchers in total but was unable to contain the Rays’ offense or slow Rasmussen’s dominance. The Guardians managed only one run off Rasmussen in the sixth inning and could not mount a comeback against Tampa Bay’s bullpen. Left-hander Cam Booser recorded the first two outs of the eighth before José Ramírez singled up the middle. Tyler Wells then struck out Ramírez swinging on a cutter, preserving the lead for closer Bryan Baker.
Wells described the strikeout as “probably the biggest at-bat of my career so far,” adding that he focused on executing pitches rather than forcing anything. The bullpen effort preserved Rasmussen’s work and kept the Rays ahead late.
The game followed a contrasting pattern from the earlier matchup between these pitchers in July, when Rasmussen and Messick combined for a 1-0 Rays victory in a pitching duel. Sunday’s game was less about a battle between aces and more about Tampa Bay’s ability to quickly exploit Messick’s erratic command. Despite Messick’s strong velocity and strikeout ability, his control issues surfaced at a critical moment, forcing early bullpen intervention.
Rasmussen’s performance was a rebound from his Game 1 start, where he allowed two runs over six innings but suffered a blown lead in the seventh. This time, he settled the bottom of the order efficiently, avoiding the late-game damage that Cleveland inflicted earlier in the series.
With the Rays now leading the series 3-2, Tampa Bay holds a chance to return to the World Series. The pitching matchup for Game 6 has not yet been announced.
According to Yahoo Sports.