Rays Beat the Guardians 7-3 in ALCS Game 6 to Win the Pennant and Set Up a World Series With the Brewers

Then Junior Caminero hit a two-run homer in the seventh off closer Cade Smith to make it 5-1. It was the first postseason home run of his career, the AP said, and it came in his 33rd at-bat of this October. Yandy Diaz followed with a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth off Hunter Gaddis to put the game out of reach. Cleveland loaded the bases late and scored twice, but no more, and Bryan Baker, who also closed Sunday's win, finished it.

Who was the ALCS MVP?

Freddy Peralta, who started Game 6 and gave up one run on five hits over 5 1/3 innings. "This is unbelievable," he said afterwards, according to MLB.com. Caminero said the win was for his family and the Dominican Republic, and manager Kevin Cash said he has a roster of gamers, even if it has no Hall of Famers.

A sellout crowd of 40,230 watched. For Cleveland, which came back from a 2-0 hole against the White Sox in the Division Series, the season ended one round short again. Steven Kwan said Tampa Bay played better defence, hit better and pitched better, MLB.com reported. The Guardians have not won a World Series since 1948.

When does the World Series start?

Game 1 is Friday at 8 p.m. Eastern on FOX at American Family Field in Milwaukee, where the Brewers wait after sweeping the defending champion Dodgers in the NLCS, a run we followed in our report on their Game 4 clincher.

The matchup guarantees a first-time champion. The Rays joined the majors in 1998 and reached the Series in 2008 and 2020 without winning it. The Brewers began in 1969 as the Seattle Pilots and have never won one either, MLB.com noted. One franchise's long wait will end.