In a closely contested series like the one the Cleveland Guardians are playing against the Tampa Bay Rays for a World Series berth, every detail counts. Yes, the former have won two of the three games so far in the AL Championship Series, but the latter remain a formidable squad capable of turning things around. The job is not done yet.
To have a chance at going up 3-1 in the best-of-seven affair, however, these two Guardians stars need to have a good game on Saturday.
Travis Bazzana
Generally speaking, the Guardians’ offense has been excellent in the 2026 postseason. However, they need some unexpected contributors to show up in order to raise the ceiling, and who better than a former No. 1 draft pick who also happened to make the All-Star Game this year as a rookie?
Yes, we are talking about Travis Bazzana. While the rest of his teammates have been amazing, the Aussie is struggling to the tune of a .148/.233/.222 line and a .455 OPS in the postseason.
Bazzana has just four hits in eight games, although two of them have been doubles. If he can come through offensively for Cleveland, the bottom of the lineup can do some damage against Rays starter Nick Martinez.
Bazzana has held his own defensively, but the Guardians need more offense out of him. It’s simple: if he can have a solid game, Cleveland stands a good chance of winning on Saturday.
Shawn Armstrong
The Guardians probably won’t win the game if they step up to the plate with a 2-0 or 3-0 deficit. That would be crushing for their spirits and too hard to recover from against a top pitching staff. That’s why they need opener Shawn Armstrong to do his job smoothly and efficiently.
If he can give Cleveland more than three outs, they will surely take them. However, his job tonight is to give the ball to whoever comes after him in the second inning with a zero next to the ‘TB’ initials on the scoreboard.
Armstrong wasn’t himself in the regular season with a 4.58 ERA, but everyone knew he was capable of much more, and he is finally showing that elite version in the playoffs. Ever since the calendar turned to October, the veteran has had a 0.00 ERA in 5.1 innings, with no walks and five punchouts. He has allowed just one hit.
Shawn Armstrong | This postseason
4 G | 5.1 IP | 1 H | 0 R | 5 K | 0 BBCareer postseason
7.2 IP | 0 R | 0 BB— CLE STATS (@CLE_STATS) October 17, 2026
That’s the Armstrong that Cleveland needs on Saturday night to get off on the right foot.
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