Tampa Bay beats Cleveland 7-3 to reach World Series for first time since 2020
In short
The Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians 7-3 in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, winning the series 4-2. They will play the National League champion Milwaukee Brewers in the World Series, which opens on the 24th at American Family Field. Neither team has won a World Series title.
Read the full story 2 min read
The Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians 7-3 in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, and won the best-of-seven series 4-2, Yonhap reported. It is Tampa Bay's first World Series appearance in six years. Yonhap and Seoul Economic Daily dated the game the 20th Korean time, while Hankook Ilbo dated it the 19th US local time. [ 1 , 5 , 6 ]
Tampa Bay scored first in the 2nd inning, when Richie Palacios hit a two-run double with two outs. In the 3rd, Johnny DeLuca's sacrifice fly with the bases loaded made it 3-0. Cleveland scored once in the 6th, and Caminero hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the 7th. With Cleveland back within 5-3, Diaz hit a two-run homer in the 8th. Kyunghyang Shinmun said Palacios had two hits and two RBIs. Diaz said after the game, "I feel like I have the whole world. It's our turn to win this time," according to Kyunghyang Shinmun. [ 1 , 5 , 11 ]
Cleveland led the series 2-1 before losing three straight games. Kukmin Ilbo said Tampa Bay won Game 4 7-3 and Game 5 3-1. [ 1 , 5 , 8 ]
Peralta started Game 6 and allowed one run in 5 1/3 innings. He was named series MVP after winning Game 2 and Game 6, with 12 innings pitched and one run allowed, Dong-A Ilbo reported. Dong-A Ilbo said Tampa Bay got him from the New York Mets a day before the August trade deadline and that he spent eight seasons with Milwaukee through 2025. A Chosun Ilbo (OSEN) headline said he threw 99 pitches, relieved after three days' rest and then started after a day's rest. Kyunghyang Shinmun quoted him: "I can't believe it." [ 2 , 7 , 8 , 11 , 13 ]
Tampa Bay will face the National League champion Milwaukee Brewers, with Game 1 at 9 a.m. on the 24th at American Family Field in Milwaukee. Neither team has won a World Series: Tampa Bay, founded in 1998, is seeking a first title after 29 years, and Milwaukee, founded in 1969, after 58 years. Tampa Bay lost its earlier World Series appearances, in 2008 and 2020, to Philadelphia and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Cleveland's last title came in 1948. [ 1 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 11 ]
Outlets described the final as a clash of small-market clubs. Whichever team wins, it will be the first small-market champion since Kansas City in 2015, according to Yonhap. Hankook Ilbo, citing the Associated Press, said both league champions are in the bottom half of payrolls for the first time since 1991. It put Milwaukee's opening-day payroll at $125.9 million (19th) and Tampa Bay's at $90.5 million (25th). It also reported that owners want a salary cap and the players' union rejects it, ahead of the labor agreement's expiry on December 1. It quoted MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred as saying exceptions such as this year's finalists do not mean competitive balance. [ 1 , 6 ]
Why it matters
Whichever team wins, Korean outlets said, a first-time champion will be crowned and a small-market team will win the title for the first time since Kansas City in 2015. Hankook Ilbo linked the pairing to the dispute between owners and players over a salary cap, with the labor agreement expiring on December 1.
Key facts
- Tampa Bay beat Cleveland 7-3 in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. [ 1 , 5 , 8 , 11 ]
- Tampa Bay won the best-of-seven series 4-2 after trailing 1-2, and reached the World Series for the first time since 2020. [ 1 , 2 , 8 , 11 ]
- Tampa Bay will face the National League champion Milwaukee Brewers, with Game 1 on the 24th at American Family Field in Milwaukee. [ 1 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 11 ]
- Neither Tampa Bay (founded 1998) nor Milwaukee (founded 1969) has won a World Series. [ 1 , 5 , 7 , 8 , 11 ]
- Junior Caminero hit a two-run homer in the 7th and Yandy Diaz a two-run homer in the 8th. [ 1 , 5 , 8 , 11 ]
- Pitcher Freddy Peralta, who won two games, was named ALCS MVP. [ 7 , 8 , 11 ]
- Cleveland has gone 78 years without a World Series title, the longest drought among the 30 clubs, according to Yonhap. [ 1 , 5 , 6 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Tampa Bay beat Cleveland 7-3 in Game 6 and won the ALCS 4-2. [ 1 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 11 ]
- Tampa Bay will meet Milwaukee in the World Series, starting on the 24th in Milwaukee. [ 1 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 11 ]
- Neither finalist has won a World Series, so a first-time champion is guaranteed. [ 1 , 5 , 7 , 8 , 11 ]
- Whichever team wins, a small-market team will take the title for the first time since Kansas City in 2015. [ 1 , 5 , 6 , 8 , 11 ]
- Peralta was named ALCS MVP. [ 7 , 8 , 11 ]
Still unclear
- Date of the game. Most outlets give the 20th (Korean time) and Hankook Ilbo and Newsis give the 19th (US local time); a Chosun Ilbo summary (doc 12) gives the 21st (Korean time), unlike the other outlets.
- Whether the World Series will be affected by a labor dispute. Only Hankook Ilbo reported that the collective bargaining agreement expires on December 1, that owners want a salary cap and that the players' union rejects it; it said a lockout from December 2 was likely if no deal is reached.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Yonhap published its report of Tampa Bay's 7-3 win over Cleveland, which sent the team to the World Series. [ 1 ]
- Hankook Ilbo published a report on the small-market World Series and the payroll gap with the biggest-spending clubs. [ 6 ]
- Kyunghyang Shinmun published its report with post-game comments from Diaz, manager Kevin Cash and Peralta. [ 11 ]
- World Series Game 1 is scheduled for 9 a.m. on the 24th at American Family Field in Milwaukee. [ 1 , 5 , 7 ]