ST. PETERSBURG — A few minutes after the final out of the American League Championship Series was recorded, the Tampa Bay Rays were wildly celebrating on the field. Songs like “This Is How We Roll” and a number of others centered around the theme of sunshine blared over the PA system while champagne and confetti were sprayed across the outfield.
At the same moment, inside the visiting clubhouse deep within the bowels of Tropicana Field, the Guardians were soaking in silence and dejection.
The Rays beat Cleveland 7-3 in Game 6 of the ALCS, winning the series 4-2 and punching their ticket to the World Series, where the National League champion Milwaukee Brewers are waiting.
After the final out, the Guardians were shielded from all of the pomp and circumstance of the Rays’ ALCS championship taking place on the field. But they were not shielded from the pain that accompanies such a loss and a brutally sudden end to a long playoff run in which the final stage was within their grasp.
Virtually the only sound was the slapping of backs during hugs as players shared the hurt of the moment. Several sat at their assigned lockers staring into space, lost in a stunned silence.
One pitcher entirely broke down into tears, knowing their run had come to an end. After a few minutes, he sat on a couch in the middle of the clubhouse, not wanting to leave. Two fellow pitchers sat on either side of the couch to reminisce about the journey they had just undertaken.
After a while, a group of 7-8 players ended up making a circle with some chairs to continue talking and extend the night as far as possible before departing the ballpark, their last postgame bus ride of the season back to the hotel.
After answering a few questions from reporters, manager Stephen Vogt walked back to the clubhouse. When he rounded the corner and headed down the hallway, he took his hat off in frustration and dejection. Before a group of people got to him, he put it back on and stood up straight.
The skipper always puts on the brave face, even when times are tough on the ship.
“I couldn’t be more proud of our group. It just hurts,” Vogt said, fighting back tears after being asked about his message to the team after the team. “It stings. Really felt like we had a team to go [all the way], and just weren’t able to get there. But I couldn’t be more proud of our entire group, our players, coaches, staff, front office.
“Let it hurt. Let it sink in. Let it fuel you this winter. But more than anything, just really proud of our group.”
Cleveland Guardians reach ALCS in 2026 MLB playoffs
When Vogt eventually made his way through the clubhouse, hugging players as he went and delivering messages of appreciation for a hard-fought year, he and Austin Hedges embraced for several moments in a bear hug. Perhaps nobody was more dejected after the loss than Hedges, who wore the face of someone who had been absolutely crushed by the result, and the ending of their 2026 story.
And perhaps nobody embodied the 2026 Guardians quite like Hedges, whom president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said “personifies what it means to be a great teammate and a winning player.”
If there wasn’t a bus to catch back to the hotel, and if the Tropicana Field cleanup crew hadn’t needed to clear out he room, Hedges might have stayed in his seat until the morning, soaking in every ounce of their run before taking off the uniform.
“It hurts,” Hedges said, visibly emotional. “I felt like this was a group that could win the World Series. Heck of a year. Tough to say goodbye.”
Even into late August, very few people outside of the Guardians clubhouse viewed them as a real contender in October. They punched their way to within two wins of the World Series, substituting being viewed as a powerhouse with a resiliency that became not only their calling card, but their biggest point of pride.
But in the end, it wasn’t enough.
In the ALCS Game 6 loss, Junior Caminero appeared to deliver the dagger with a two-run home run off the left-field foul pole that gave the Rays a four-run lead. But, just after, the Guardians cut the deficit in half and had the go-ahead run on first base. A strikeout by Brayan Rocchio ended that rally, and the Rays' Yandy Diaz added the exclamation point with another back-breaking, two-run home run an inning later.
“Obviously it’s disappointing. There’s really nothing else to say about it,” said Jo Adell, who had his first playoff experience this October. “We gave it all we had and just came up short. We didn’t get the job done. And this group of guys has been really something special and something I’ll never forget.”
Their playoff journey came to an end two wins shy of the World Series, the deepest run since 2016. For the second time in three years, the Guardians were one of the final four teams standing. It’s an accomplishment of its own, especially considering their payroll and resources, but one dipped in bittersweet disappointment.
“Yeah, I’m right there with them trying to make it to the World Series as well,” said Steven Kwan when asked about Cleveland fans waiting for a championship. “Definitely disappointing, and they’ve treated us so well. So, inching closer, but getting close isn’t achieving that goal.”
Despite the Guardians making a great deal more noise than most would have expected back in June or July, their run through the playoffs ended with silence deep within Tropicana Field and the final stage of their journey painfully close but ultimately pushed out of their reach.
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: Guardians dejected after ALCS Game 6 loss to Tampa Bay Rays