The Cleveland Guardians are one loss away from going home, and Stephen Vogt could not sound more ready for the challenge. After the Tampa Bay Rays beat Cleveland 3-1 in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series on Sunday at Progressive Field, the Rays took a three games to two lead in the best of seven series. The Guardians now have to win two straight games at Tropicana Field to reach the World Series. Plenty of managers might have struck a cautious tone in that situation. Vogt did the opposite. When asked about facing elimination, the Cleveland manager opened his answer with two simple words.
“Let’s go,” Vogt said.
Vogt went on to explain why he believes in this team.
“Our backs have been against the wall for a long time. This is when this team thrives. If there’s a team I’m betting on to get this done, it’s our guys,” Vogt said.
#Guardians manager Stephen Vogt on facing ALCS elimination after losing Game 5 to the Rays, 3-1: "Let's go. Our backs have been against the wall for a long time. This is when this team thrives. If there's a team I'm betting on to get this done, it's our guys." pic.twitter.com/DUEdD2uQ3w
— Jeff Schudel (@jsproinsider) October 19, 2026
Vogt went on to say that the Guardians have had their backs against the wall for a long time, and that this is exactly when this team thrives. He finished by saying that if there is one team he would bet on to get this done, it is his guys.
It is the same message Vogt delivered earlier this month, when the Guardians lost the first two games of the division series at home against the White Sox. He said then that his team thrives when its back is against the wall, and his players backed him up by winning three straight elimination games to stun Chicago. Cleveland is a perfect 3-0 in elimination games this postseason.
Vogt’s track record in these moments goes beyond this year. In 2024, his first season as manager, the Guardians trailed Detroit two games to one in the division series before winning Game 4 on the road and Game 5 at home to advance. This group has rarely panicked under his watch, and that steady approach has become a big part of the team’s identity.
The challenge this time is steeper. The Guardians will have to win both remaining games on the road, and the Rays went 55-26 at Tropicana Field during the regular season.
Cleveland does have some reasons for hope. The Guardians already won once at Tropicana Field in this series, taking Game 1 with a late rally. Their bullpen threw six scoreless innings in Game 5 after Parker Messick exited early, and Gavin Williams is lined up to start a potential Game 7 on regular rest. Vogt has said Williams will not start Game 6 on short rest, so the Guardians will need a strong effort from the rest of the staff on Monday to get there.
The offense will also need to wake up after managing just one run against Drew Rasmussen on Sunday. Steven Kwan, José Ramírez and Chase DeLauter combined to produce Cleveland’s lone run, and the Guardians will need more from the middle and bottom of the order to keep their season alive.
NEXT: Rays Player Predicts The Guardians’ Season Will End On Monday
