Rays Win the Pennant 18 Years to the Day After Their First as Díaz Backs Up His Guarantee

Monday, October 19, 2026 — the Rays are going back to the World Series.

The Rays beat the Guardians 7-3 at Tropicana Field on Monday to win the American League Championship Series in six games. Tampa Bay won the final three games of the series and will face the Milwaukee Brewers in the World Series, starting Friday in Milwaukee.

The clinch came 18 years to the day after the Rays won their first pennant in 2008.

Homers Decide It

Richie Palacios opened the scoring with a two-run double in the second inning, and Jonny DeLuca added a sacrifice fly in the third. Junior Caminero then hit his first career postseason homer, a two-run shot. In the eighth, Yandy Díaz sent a two-run homer over the left-field wall to put it away.

Díaz had predicted the win after Game 5. “A lot of people didn’t believe me, but here are the results,” he said afterward. Caminero dedicated the win to the fans: “Tampa, this is for you.”

Peralta, the MVP

Freddy Peralta earned the win with 5⅓ innings of one-run ball, allowing five hits. He was named ALCS MVP after allowing one run on nine hits in 12 innings across three appearances, two of them starts, with nine strikeouts. His willingness to come out of the bullpen in Game 4 proved just as important as his starts.

“This is for the boys,” Peralta said.

Cleveland’s Run Ends

The Guardians came back from 0-2 against the White Sox and led this series 2-1, but they couldn’t solve Tampa Bay’s pitching over the final three games. Stephen Vogt told his team to let the loss sink in: “Let it hurt. Let it sink in. Let it fuel you this winter.”

Unfinished Business

This is the Rays’ third World Series. They lost in five games to the Phillies in 2008 and in six to the Dodgers in 2020. The franchise is still looking for its first championship — and so are the Brewers, who won two of three regular-season meetings back in late March and early April.

The Read

The Rays won the AL East, swept the Yankees and outlasted the hottest team in the American League. Now two small-market clubs built on pitching and development will meet for a title neither has ever won.