ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Yandy Díaz’s guarantee that the Tampa Bay Rays would win Game 6 of the AL Championship series didn’t turn into bulletin-board material.
The Rays led the Cleveland Guardians 3-2 in the best-of-seven series and had a chance to close it out Monday night to advance to the World Series for the third time in the franchise's 29 seasons.
Díaz, who had three hits in a 3-1 victory Sunday, was asked after that game how he looked at the opportunity to go back to the World Series.
“It’s a great opportunity. All of us are thinking of it. But it all ends (Monday). We’re going to win (Monday),” Díaz said through an interpreter.
It wasn’t quite like Joe Namath’s guarantee that the New York Jets would win Super Bowl 3.
Guardians manager Stephen Vogt wasn’t even aware Díaz made those comments.
“He did that? He said that? I literally have no idea what you’re talking about,” Vogt said Monday. “I’m sure our guys saw it and they know about it.”
Asked if the comments are more motivating or blown out of proportion, Vogt said: “Probably somewhere in the middle of that. The thing I love about our guys, we worry about us, we focus on us. If that gives our guys a little more motivation, great.”
The Guardians face elimination. That's enough motivation. They won three straight games after falling behind the Chicago White Sox 0-2 in the AL Division Series.
“We’re all competitors. It would be kind of worrying if you didn’t feel that way. We think we’re going to win the game as well,” Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan said. “But he’s confident, we’re confident. Hopefully he’s wrong. Hopefully we can come out with the win today.”
The 35-year-old Díaz, who is from Cuba, began his major league career with Cleveland in 2017 and joined the Rays in 2019. He helped them reach the World Series in 2020, when they lost in six games to the Dodgers.
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