ST. PETERSBURG — The Guardians won Game 1 of the ALCS and now look to extend that lead with one of their two front-line starters on the mound.
The Guardians defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 7-3 in Game 1 at Tropicana Field Oct. 12 while scoring all seven runs after the fifth inning. They'll now have Parker Messick starting Game 2 after piecing together Game 1 behind Foster Griffin.
Game 2 of the ALCS is set for a first-pitch time of 8:08 p.m.
Here are ALCS Game 2 predictions from Beacon Journal sports writers Ryan Lewis and Nate Ulrich.
Guardians-Rays ALCS Game 2 predictions
Lewis: The Rays had a golden opportunity to put Game 1 away early but squandered it. Sound familiar, White Sox? Cleveland just keeps coming back, and there really does seem to be something to their grittiness. And now, after taking Game 1, they have their pitching lined up to a much better extent, especially with Parker Messick facing a lineup that has struggled against left-handed pitchers. The Guardians are rolling, and they're set up much better than they were in Game 1. The only concern is how Messick deals with pitching deeper into October after he struggled with his command in Game 4 of the ALDS. The Rays have also been terrific at home. Rays over Guardians 3-2
Ulrich: With Nathaniel Lowe’s big-game experience, he seemed destined to deliver in a key moment for the Guardians. It happened during Game 1 of the ALCS when Lowe hit a go-ahead two-run single in the eighth inning. Lowe and the rest of the Guardians should be lauded for defeating the Rays 7-3 in the series opener. However, this crystal ball is not showing the Guardians prevailing in two road games to begin the best-of-seven ALCS. The Rays and Milwaukee Brewers tied for the best home record (55-26) in MLB during the 2026 regular season. It’s hard to believe the Rays will drop Games 1 and 2, even against a Guardians team riding a four-game postseason winning streak. Rays over Guardians 5-3
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-Rays predictions. Who wins Game 2 of ALCS?