The Cleveland Guardians and Tampa Bay Rays meet in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series on Sunday, with the best-of-seven matchup tied at 2-2 and a trip to the World Series hanging in the balance.
Oct 17, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians second baseman Travis Bazzana (37) rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Tampa Bay Rays during the seventh inning in game four of the ALCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
How to Watch Rays vs Guardians
- Date: Sunday, October 18, 2026
- Time: 5:00 PM ET
- Channel: TBS
- Stream: DIRECTV (try for free)
After falling behind 2-1 in the series, Tampa Bay responded with a 7-3 victory in Game 4 on Saturday night. Nick Martinez delivered 5 1/3 innings of one-run baseball, while Junior Caminero, Jonathan Aranda and Yandy Díaz helped power the Rays’ offense. The victory guarantees that the series will return to Tropicana Field for Game 6, but Tampa Bay has an opportunity to head home needing just one more win to advance.
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Cleveland will turn to Parker Messick in Game 5, while Drew Rasmussen is expected to take the mound for Tampa Bay. The Guardians have already shown their ability to overcome adversity this postseason, rallying from a 2-0 deficit against the Chicago White Sox in the ALDS. However, another loss would put Cleveland on the brink of elimination, with the final two games scheduled to take place in Tampa Bay. First pitch is scheduled for 5:00 PM ET at Progressive Field, with national coverage on TBS.
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