American League Championship Series Opens at Tropicana Field
The Cleveland Guardians face the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1 of the 2026 American League Championship Series on October 13, 2026, at Tropicana Field, with Drew Rasmussen scheduled to start against Foster Griffin, Scores24 reported. Tampa Bay enters the series holding the American League’s top seed after securing 55 regular-season home victories, while Cleveland arrives following a five-game American League Division Series victory over Chicago. Thirty MLB.com experts offered predictions for the matchup, with 27 selecting the Rays to advance to the World Series.
Rays Secure Home-Field Advantage After Strong Regular Season
Tampa Bay claimed the top seed in the American League after taking command of the AL East in late June and holding off the New York Yankees, according to MLB.com reporting. The club advanced past the Yankees in a three-game sweep during the ALDS, outscoring New York 10 to 5. The team earned several days of rest ahead of the championship series. Managerial staff and analysts pointed to the club’s pitching depth and offensive output, with 23-year-old infielder Junior Caminero slugging 42 home runs during the regular season. Arturo Pardavila, vice president for breaking news and Spanish content at MLB.com, noted that the Rays’ pitching is properly aligned entering the series.
Guardians Advance Following Five-Game Series Against Chicago
Cleveland earned its spot in the ALCS by overcoming a 2-0 deficit against Chicago in the division series, ultimately winning three consecutive games to clinch the round with a 2-0 shutout. The victory set up a clash against a Tampa Bay squad that won five of six head-to-head regular-season meetings. During their July series in Florida, the Guardians dropped three straight contests by scores of 3-11, 0-3, and 0-1. Scores24 noted that despite those lopsided final tallies, five of the six regular-season matchups were decided by three runs or fewer, with three games featuring a single-run margin.
Rasmussen and Griffin Take the Mound for Game 1
Tampa Bay sends right-hander Drew Rasmussen to the mound for the series opener. Rasmussen finished the regular season with a 16-5 record, a 2.67 ERA, a 0.91 WHIP, and 174 strikeouts across 172 innings. In his previous postseason outing against the Yankees, he pitched eight scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts, while his July start against Cleveland yielded seven scoreless innings and nine strikeouts. Cleveland counters with left-hander Foster Griffin, who posted a 15-6 record and a 3.60 ERA during the regular season. Since joining the Guardians from Washington, Griffin recorded a 5.19 ERA across nine appearances, though he rebounded in the ALDS by striking out seven batters in 2.2 relief innings against Chicago.
Expert Predictions Favor Tampa Bay in Deep Postseason Field
MLB.com polling of 30 baseball experts showed 90 percent picking the Rays to win the pennant, with 15 voters predicting a five-game series and 10 predicting six games. Two voters selected Tampa Bay in four games, while two selected Cleveland in seven games and one picked the Guardians in five games. Junior Caminero led ALCS Most Valuable Player voting with 13 nods from the panel, followed by Rasmussen with seven votes. José Ramírez earned all three MVP votes from analysts who picked the Guardians to capture the American League title. Game 1 gets underway at Tropicana Field, where first pitch is scheduled according to local venue guidelines.
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