Tampa Bay’s Jonny DeLuca figured it was going to be a quiet day for the outfielders with Drew Rasmussen on the mound for Game 5 of the AL Championship Series against the Cleveland Guardians. With the way Rasmussen quieted the Guardians’ offense on Sunday, that made for a perfect evening. He gave up four hits, walked one and struck out six.
A lot of power to everything. Then the depth on the changeup throughout the outing was a big pitch for him.” Tampa Bay have won the last two games and will try to capture their third AL pennant and first since 2020 on Monday at Tropicana Field in St Petersburg, Florida. Since the ALCS expanded to a best-of-seven format in 1985, road teams winning Game 5 to take a 3-2 lead have won the series four out of five times.
All of us are thinking of it. But it all ends tomorrow. We’re going to win tomorrow,” said designated hitter Yandy Díaz, who had three hits.
Game 7, if needed, would be Tuesday. The World Series starts Friday at NL champions Milwaukee. Rasmussen had given up two runs over six innings in the opener.
After Chase DeLauter’s two-out single in the first, the 31-year-old right-hander retired nine straight batters and allowed only one other baserunner through the sixth. Rasmussen is 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA in three postseason starts, striking out 23 and walking three. He used his changeup only 12 times in the opener but threw it 27 times on Sunday, including 21 for strikes.
Cam Booser and Tyler Wells worked the eighth, with Wells striking out Ramírez to strand a runner. Bryan Baker came in for the ninth and converted his 35th straight save chance, his fifth of this postseason. Jo Adell was on second base when Travis Bazzana hit a game-ending groundout.
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