CLEVELAND — Instead of seizing a commanding lead in the American League Championship Series, the Guardians fell 7-3 to the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 4 on Saturday, Oct. 17, at Progressive Field.
The best-of-seven ALCS is now tied 2-2, with Game 5 next at 5:08 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18, in Cleveland.
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Here are Guardians-Rays ALCS Game 4 instant reactions from Beacon Journal writers Ryan Lewis and Nate Ulrich:
Guardians-Rays ALCS Game 4. Ryan Lewis' instant reaction
For the first time this series, the Rays’ top three hitters of Yandy Diaz, Jonathan Aranda and Junior Caminero (yes, Caminero hit fourth, but those are the three most notable hitters in the lineup), were all productive. It was only a matter of time before those three got it going, and that combined with a brutal error by Chase DeLauter was enough to tie the series. It was thought before the series that there’d be very little to separate these two teams, and that has been the case, as every mistake is being magnified.
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Guardians vs. Rays ALCS Game 4. Nate Ulrich's instant reaction
The Guardians kept threatening, but they could never overcome the Rays going ahead 5-1 with a three-run seventh inning. During the pivotal inning, Chase DeLauter's error in right field (he whiffed while trying to scoop the ball off the grass) allowed one unearned to score and helped the Rays set up a successful sacrifice fly on the next at-bat. The Guardians countered with two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and flirted with inflicting more damage in the eighth when pinch-hitter David Fry crushed the ball with a runner on base. The only problem is the gargantuan shot by Fry went foul, and he proceeded to strike out swinging. Yandy Díaz hit a two-run home run in the ninth, giving the Rays insurance and ensuring Game 6 in Florida will be necessary.
Ryan Lewis covers the Guardians for the Beacon Journal. He can be reached at rlewis1@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Guardians vs Tampa Bay Rays ALCS Game 4 instant reactions