An Improbable Push Leads Guardians To ALCS vs. Tampa Bay Rays: What You Need To Know

The Cleveland Guardians have needed every bit of magic to get to this point in the season.

After hitting multiple bumps in the road through the regular season, falling behind the Chicago White Sox in the division race and then eventually retaking the top spot, the Guardians entered the MLB postseason with plenty of momentum.

But as baseball does: it gives and it takes.

And unfortunately, after the first two games of the American League Division Series against the pesky White Sox, it seemed that the end of the road was here.

THE GUARDIANS MAKE HISTORY 🚨

Cleveland becomes the FIRST team since the 2017 Yankees to overcome a 2-0 deficit and win an ALDS!

Down 2-0. Three straight wins.

WHAT A COMEBACK. 🤯 https://t.co/y62vGMDJf2 pic.twitter.com/gcBbItSYiZ
— Novig (@Novig) October 11, 2026

Down 2-0 in the series, though, the Guardians dug deep and won the next three games straight, punching a ticket to the AL Championship Series.

And the Guardians' path to the World Series continues.

“Backs against the wall!” Vogt yelled in the clubhouse postgame. “Three straight elimination games! You boys showed up. You showed out. We've posted all year. No one counts us in. We’ve got eight more wins to go!”

First step of the plan is complete.#GuardsBall | #StandGuard pic.twitter.com/Wl9Sr1hSvw
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) October 11, 2026

Next Up: Tampa Bay

The Guardians don't have time to catch their breath, with the team making the trip to Tampa Bay for the start of the ALCS.

Matching up against the Tampa Bay Rays from Tropicana Field for the first two games of the best-of-seven series, the Guardians have their work cut out for them.

When the two sides collided against one another earlier in the regular season, the Guardians were dominated. Across six outings, the Guardians won just one game, coming on Wednesday, April 29, in a 3-1 victory.

In the other five meetings, the Rays came out on top 3-2, 1-0, 3-0, 1-0 and 11-3. While the massive eight-run victory that occurred on Friday, July 24, is going to turn some heads, the other four results that favored the Rays show just how competitive the two sides can be.

But either way, the Rays have proven they can be the better team and leave a nine-inning game with a win in hand. The Guardians will have to do the same now.

Not only did the Rays call the Guardians' number in the regular season, but the team is playing its best baseball right now.

In their ALDS showdown against the New York Yankees just a few days ago, the Rays produced an eye-popping three-game sweep.

Tampa Bay Rays, Junior Caminero — Oct 7, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero (13) celebrates in the locker room with teammates after winning game three of the ALDS against the New York Yankees and winning the series 3-0 during the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The last time the two sides played in a postseason series, the Guardians were able to pull off a sweep themselves, downing the Rays in Game 1, 2-1, before waltzing into Game 2 and fighting tooth and nail for a win. In a 15-inning thriller, the Guardians came out on top 1-0.

The Guardians' game-winning RBI, which was a walk-off home run, was produced by then-outfielder Oscar Gonzalez and the win was awarded to then-reliever Sam Hentges.

Since then, obviously, both teams have seen countless changes to their rosters.

Cleveland Guardians, Oscar Gonzalez — Oct 8, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians right fielder Oscar Gonzalez (39) reacts after his game-winning home run against the Tampa Bay Rays in fifteen innings during game two of the Wild Card series for the 2022 MLB Playoffs at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

But the expectation remains that the Guardians can continue to defy expectations, even if the Rays have a bit more of an edge this time around.

“It's about resilience,” Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said Saturday night. “This group has demonstrated that time and time again throughout the course of the season. With their backs against the wall, they never had any doubt and found a way to make it happen.”

And with many still questioning the legitimacy of the Guardians' ability to remain competitive under the brightest lights of the sport, the team will have another opportunity to silence the doubters in the ALCS.

The Guardians and Rays kick off the series at 8:00 p.m. EST on Monday, Oct. 12, from Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla.

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