The Cleveland Guardians are once again one loss away from the end of their season. The Tampa Bay Rays scored a run in each of the first three innings and Drew Rasmussen did the rest, holding Cleveland to one run over seven innings in a 3-1 win in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series on Sunday at Progressive Field. The Rays now lead the best of seven series three games to two and head home to Tropicana Field with two chances to clinch a trip to the World Series. The Guardians had been in position to finish the series at home after winning Game 3, but Tampa Bay responded by taking both weekend games in Cleveland.
“Heading to Tampa Bay,” Cleveland Guardians posted.
Heading to Tampa Bay.#GuardsBall | #StandGuard pic.twitter.com/xbColuniGl
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) October 18, 2026
The afternoon got away from Parker Messick early. The rookie left hander, who grew up rooting for the Rays in Plant City, Florida, was making the 36th start of his season and appeared to be running low on fuel. Yandy DÃaz led off the game with a double, and the Rays loaded the bases before Jonny DeLuca drew a two out walk to bring in the first run. Messick needed 30 pitches to get through the first inning. In the second, Ben Williamson led off with a single and came around to score on one out singles by DÃaz and Jonathan Aranda to make it 2-0. Messick struck out the next two hitters to end the inning, but that was his final frame.
It was the shortest start of Messick’s career. He allowed two runs on five hits over two innings, walking two and striking out three on 57 pitches.
The offense simply could not solve Drew Rasmussen. Cleveland’s only run came in the sixth inning, when Kwan and José RamÃrez hit back to back one out singles to put runners on the corners. Chase DeLauter grounded out to first base to bring Kwan home and make it 3-1, but Rasmussen got Jo Adell to pop out to end the threat. Kwan finished 2-4, while RamÃrez, DeLauter and Nathaniel Lowe each had one hit.
Rasmussen allowed just four hits over seven innings, walking one and striking out six. He improved to 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA this postseason, and in four starts against Cleveland this season, including the playoffs, he is 2-0 with a 2.16 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 32 innings. Cam Booser, Tyler Wells and closer Bryan Baker finished the job out of the bullpen.
The history books are not on Cleveland’s side. Teams that take a 3-2 lead after a best of seven series tied at two games apiece have gone on to win 46 out of 69 times. The Rays were also dominant at home during the regular season, going 55-26 at Tropicana Field on their way to 98 wins.
But if any team knows how to survive elimination games, it is this one. The Guardians faced three straight win or go home games against the White Sox in the division series after losing the first two games, and they won all three. They also split the first two games of this series at Tropicana Field, winning Game 1 before dropping Game 2.
Now they need to do it two more times.
NEXT: Guardians Try Something They’ve Never Done Before In Game 5
