The Tampa Bay Rays moved within one win of reaching the World Series for the first time in six years.
Tampa Bay beat the Cleveland Guardians 3-1 in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series at Progressive Field in Cleveland on Sunday, behind a strong outing from starter Drew Rasmussen.
The Rays took a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series and need one more victory in Games 6 or 7 to advance to the World Series.
Tampa Bay, which joined the majors as an expansion team in 1998, reached the World Series in 2008 and 2020 but finished runner-up both times.
Games 6 and 7 will move to the Rays' home, Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Monday and Tuesday.
Tampa Bay opened the scoring in the first inning when Jonny DeLuca drew a bases-loaded walk with two outs.
The Rays added another run on Jonathan Aranda's RBI single in the second before Liam Hicks singled up the middle in the third to make it 3-0.
Cleveland managed only five hits and scored its lone run in the sixth.
Rasmussen struck out six while allowing one run on four hits over seven innings to earn the win.
Cleveland starter Parker Messick took the loss after allowing two runs on five hits in two innings.
Messick went 12-9 with a 2.56 ERA during the regular season but has struggled in the postseason, going 0-3 with a 3.95 ERA.
In major league history, teams that have won Game 5 after a best-of-seven postseason series was tied 2-2 have gone on to win the series 46 of 69 times, or 67 percent.
When the road team won Game 5 in that situation, it went on to win the series 21 of 28 times, or 75 percent.
Former major leaguer Choo Shin-soo threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the game.
Choo played 16 seasons in the majors and was Cleveland's starting outfielder from 2006 through 2012.
He posted two 20-home run, 20-steal seasons with Cleveland and batted .292 with 83 home runs, 372 RBIs and 85 stolen bases over seven seasons before becoming a free agent and joining the Texas Rangers.
(This article was produced with the assistance of AI. — Ed.)