ALCS 2026: Rays vs Guardians Schedule, Results and Jerseys
The American League Championship Series is set, and it took a comeback to fill it. The Cleveland Guardians lost the first two games of their Division Series at home, won the next three, and then went to Tropicana Field and beat the Tampa Bay Rays 7-3 in Game 1 on Monday 12 October. The Rays answered with a 3-1 win in Game 2 on Tuesday 13 October behind six scoreless innings from Freddy Peralta, and Cleveland took Game 3 3-2 at Progressive Field on Thursday 15 October on rookie Petey Halpin’s two-run homer, so the Guardians lead the series 2-1.
The Rays are the top seed in the American League after a 98-64 regular season and a three-game sweep of the New York Yankees. Cleveland won the AL Central at 85-77, one game ahead of the White Sox, and then had to win three elimination games in a row to get here. The two franchises have met twice in the postseason before, in the 2013 wild-card game and the 2022 Wild Card Series, but never with a pennant on the line. The winner goes to the World Series on 23 October and meets the Milwaukee Brewers, who swept the Dodgers 4-0 to win the National League pennant. Game 4 is at Progressive Field on Friday 16 October, with rain in the forecast.
- Series: Cleveland leads 2-1. The Guardians won Game 1 7-3 and Game 3 3-2, both at Progressive Field’s opposite ends of the series — Game 1 in St. Petersburg, Game 3 at home — and Tampa Bay won Game 2 3-1. Game 4 is at Progressive Field on Friday 16 October.
- Game 3: Petey Halpin, a 24-year-old defensive replacement who only forced his way into the lineup in the Division Series, hit a go-ahead two-run homer off Griffin Jax in the fifth and flipped his bat to the sky. Gavin Williams struck out nine over five innings and Cade Smith saved it.
- How they got here: Tampa Bay swept the Yankees 3-0. Cleveland lost the first two games of the ALDS to the White Sox, then won Games 3, 4 and 5, taking the decider 2-0 on 10 October.
- Home field: the Rays, with the best record in the American League, host Games 1, 2, 6 and 7. The Guardians host Games 3, 4 and 5.
- The number to know: Cleveland pitchers struck out 21 White Sox batters in Game 5, the most by any club in a nine-inning postseason game.
2026 ALCS schedule: Rays vs Guardians
| Game | Date | Venue | First pitch (ET) | TV | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monday 12 October | Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg | 8 p.m. | TBS | Guardians 7, Rays 3 |
| 2 | Tuesday 13 October | Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg | 8 p.m. | TBS | Rays 3, Guardians 1 |
| 3 | Thursday 15 October | Progressive Field, Cleveland | 1 p.m. | TBS | Guardians 3, Rays 2 |
| 4 | Friday 16 October | Progressive Field, Cleveland | 6 p.m. | TBS | Not played |
| 5 * | Saturday 17 October | Progressive Field, Cleveland | 8 p.m. | TBS | — |
| 6 * | Monday 19 October | Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg | 5 p.m. | TBS | — |
| 7 * | Tuesday 20 October | Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg | 8 p.m. | TBS | — |
Every ALCS game is on TBS. The series uses the 2-3-2 format, so the higher seed hosts the first two games and the last two: Tampa Bay at Tropicana Field for Games 1, 2, 6 and 7, Cleveland at Progressive Field for Games 3, 4 and 5. The asterisked games are played only if the series is still alive. Game 3 was moved up five hours to 1 p.m. ET because of a rain threat in Cleveland, and rain is again forecast for Game 4 on Friday 16 October. The Guardians last reached this round in 2024, when the Yankees beat them in five games; the Rays are two wins from a third World Series appearance, having lost the 2020 Fall Classic to the Dodgers in six games and the 2008 one to the Phillies in five.
Game 1 result: Cleveland beat the Tampa Bay Rays 7-3 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida on Monday 12 October 2026 to take a 1-0 lead in the American League Championship Series. Tampa Bay led 2-0 after the first inning on RBI singles by Junior Caminero and Jonny DeLuca, and Drew Rasmussen kept Cleveland off the board until the sixth. Chase DeLauter homered in the sixth and Patrick Bailey tied it with a 436-foot shot leading off the seventh, and Nathaniel Lowe — a former Ray — lined a two-run single in the eighth off Ian Seymour for a 4-2 lead. Cedric Mullins answered with a solo homer in the bottom of the eighth, but José Ramírez singled home a run in the ninth and Jo Adell followed with a two-run double. Ramírez and DeLauter finished with three hits each as Cleveland collected 14, and five Guardians relievers combined for five innings of one-run, two-hit ball in front of 35,361 at Tropicana Field.
Game 2 result: Tampa Bay beat the Cleveland Guardians 3-1 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida on Tuesday 13 October 2026 to level the American League Championship Series at 1-1. The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fourth, when a two-out error by José Ramírez let Victor Mesa Jr. score and Liam Hicks followed with a two-run single to right-center field for a 3-0 lead, all three runs unearned against Cleveland starter Parker Messick. Freddy Peralta struck out six over six scoreless innings for the win, Chase DeLauter lined an RBI double down the right-field line in the seventh, Ian Seymour struck out Jo Adell with runners on second and third to end that inning, and Bryan Baker retired the side in order in the ninth for his fourth save of the postseason in front of 32,125 at Tropicana Field. Game 3 is at Progressive Field in Cleveland on Thursday 15 October.
Game 3 result: Cleveland beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 at Progressive Field in Cleveland on Thursday 15 October 2026 to take a 2-1 lead in the American League Championship Series. Nathaniel Lowe’s RBI double in the second put Cleveland ahead, Chandler Simpson answered with a two-run triple in the fourth, and rookie Petey Halpin hit a go-ahead two-run homer off Griffin Jax in the fifth. Gavin Williams struck out nine over five innings, and four Cleveland relievers allowed one baserunner over the final four innings, with Cade Smith retiring the last four batters for the save. Rays pitchers struck out 13 and Tampa Bay was held to three hits in front of 30,101 at Progressive Field.
How both clubs got here
Rays: a sweep of the Yankees, then three days off
Tampa Bay finished 98-64 to win the AL East and the best record in the American League, then swept New York in three games. Drew Rasmussen took a no-hitter into the eighth inning of Game 1 and finished with 10 strikeouts in a 1-0 win, the Rays scored four times in the fifth inning of a 5-2 Game 2, and they closed it out 4-3 at Yankee Stadium on 7 October. It was the first sweep of a best-of-five or longer postseason series in franchise history. New York committed three errors in the first inning of Game 3, the first club to do that in a postseason game since Oakland in the 1975 AL Championship Series.
Guardians: three win-or-go-home wins in a row
Cleveland won the AL Central at 85-77, one game ahead of Chicago, took the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye — and then lost the first two games of the Division Series at Progressive Field, 3-0 and 4-3. The Guardians answered with 9-3 and 9-5 wins at Rate Field in Chicago on 7 and 8 October, and then 2-0 at home on 10 October. They are the eleventh team to lose the first two games of a best-of-five postseason series and still win it, and the first to do it since the 2017 Yankees, who turned the trick against Cleveland in this same ballpark. Cleveland came into Game 5 at 2-9 in win-or-go-home games.
José Ramírez carried the turnaround. He went 0-for-6 in the two losses, then 5-for-12 with a double, a triple, two home runs and seven RBIs across Games 3, 4 and 5 — the last of those a two-run shot in Game 5 on a pitch 8.88 inches off the ground, the lowest hit for a postseason home run since tracking began in 2008.
Who pitches, and when
Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said the ALCS rotation would look like the ALDS one, which used 12 pitchers: Drew Rasmussen started Game 1 and Freddy Peralta Game 2, and right-hander Griffin Jax starts Game 3 in Cleveland. Cleveland’s answer was Foster Griffin, who gave the Guardians four innings and two runs in Game 1, and rookie left-hander Parker Messick, who took the loss in Game 2 after allowing three unearned runs in five innings. Gavin Williams threw 5⅔ innings and 12 strikeouts in Game 5 on 10 October and is expected to start Game 3; Joey Cantillo and Tanner Bibee also pitched in Chicago and neither worked more than three innings.
What to watch
Tampa Bay’s pitching against a suddenly loud Cleveland lineup
The Rays did not allow more than three earned runs in any of the six regular-season meetings. They shut Cleveland out three times — twice in the late-July series at Tropicana Field — and outscored the Guardians 20-8 across that three-game sweep in St. Petersburg. Rasmussen struck out nine over seven innings in one of those shutouts; Martinez threw six scoreless innings in the other. Cleveland scored 20 runs in its three ALDS wins after managing three in the two losses, so the question is which version of the lineup shows up.
Rest against momentum
The Rays have waited since 7 October, which let them reset a rotation that had thrown only three games in the round. Cleveland played a decisive Game 5 on 10 October, and both clubs have now played two games in this series, which moves to Progressive Field on Thursday 15 October. The Guardians’ bullpen carried a heavy load to get here: Cade Smith threw 50 pitches across Games 3 and 4, then pitched 1⅔ innings for his first career five-out save in Game 5, and Erik Sabrowski and Hunter Gaddis got the other five outs between them.
What the winner gets
The World Series opens on Friday 23 October. Because the National League pennant winner holds home-field advantage this year, the American League winner starts the Fall Classic on the road.
The shirts in this series
Two fanbases, two very different Octobers. Cleveland is here on three straight elimination wins; Tampa Bay is here on a sweep and a week of rest. Both clubs are on the shelf at Pro Sports Kit — home replicas and player-printed limited jerseys, for the players who decided the Division Series and the ones who will decide this one. You can also find both clubs’ full ranges on the MLB collection page.
Guardians and Rays jerseys
Home replicas and player-printed jerseys for both ALCS clubs, from $59.77.
Questions we get asked
When does the 2026 ALCS start?
Game 1 was played on Monday 12 October 2026 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, on TBS and Cleveland won it 7-3. Tampa Bay won Game 2 3-1 there on 13 October, and Cleveland won Game 3 3-2 at Progressive Field on 15 October to lead the series 2-1. Game 4 is at Progressive Field on Friday 16 October 2026.
Who won Game 1 of the ALCS?
The Cleveland Guardians beat the Tampa Bay Rays 7-3 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida on Monday 12 October 2026 to lead the American League Championship Series 1-0. Nathaniel Lowe broke a 2-2 tie with a two-run single in the eighth inning, José Ramírez and Chase DeLauter had three hits each, and five Cleveland relievers combined for five innings of one-run ball.
Who won Game 2 of the ALCS?
The Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians 3-1 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida on Tuesday 13 October 2026 to tie the American League Championship Series at 1-1. Freddy Peralta struck out six over six scoreless innings, a fourth-inning error by José Ramírez opened a three-run inning that Liam Hicks capped with a two-run single, and Bryan Baker retired the side in order in the ninth for his fourth save of the postseason.
Who won Game 3 of the ALCS?
The Cleveland Guardians beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 at Progressive Field in Cleveland on Thursday 15 October 2026 to take a 2-1 lead in the American League Championship Series. Rookie Petey Halpin hit a go-ahead two-run home run off Griffin Jax in the fifth inning, Gavin Williams struck out nine over five innings, and Cade Smith retired the last four batters for the save. Tampa Bay was held to three hits and struck out 13 times.
Who do the Rays play in the ALCS?
The Cleveland Guardians, who beat the Chicago White Sox 2-0 in Game 5 of the American League Division Series at Progressive Field in Cleveland on 10 October 2026 to win that series three games to two.
How did the Guardians reach the ALCS?
Cleveland lost the first two games of the ALDS at home, then won Game 3 9-3 and Game 4 9-5 at Rate Field in Chicago on 7 and 8 October, and Game 5 2-0 at Progressive Field on 10 October. The Guardians are the eleventh team to lose the first two games of a best-of-five postseason series and still win it, and the first to do it since the 2017 Yankees beat Cleveland in the same ballpark.
How many games are in the AL Championship Series?
Seven, best of seven, in a 2-3-2 format: Tampa Bay hosts Games 1, 2, 6 and 7 at Tropicana Field, and Cleveland hosts Games 3, 4 and 5 at Progressive Field. The first club to four wins takes the pennant.
Who won Game 5 of the ALDS between the White Sox and Guardians?
Cleveland won 2-0 at Progressive Field on 10 October 2026. Gavin Williams struck out 12 over 5⅔ scoreless innings two days after closing out Game 4, José Ramírez hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning, and Guardians pitchers struck out 21 Chicago batters, the most by any team in a nine-inning postseason game.
Who starts Game 1 of the ALCS?
Tampa Bay started Drew Rasmussen, who took a no-hitter into the eighth inning of ALDS Game 1 and allowed two runs over six-plus innings in Game 1. Cleveland started Foster Griffin, who gave up two first-inning runs and then completed four innings. For Game 2 at Tropicana Field, rookie left-hander Parker Messick started for Cleveland and Freddy Peralta for Tampa Bay, and Peralta struck out six over six scoreless innings in the Rays’ 3-1 win.
How did the Rays and Guardians do against each other this season?
Tampa Bay won five of the six regular-season meetings. The Rays never allowed more than three earned runs in any of them, shut Cleveland out three times, and outscored the Guardians 20-8 in a three-game sweep at Tropicana Field in late July.
Are these jerseys fan version or replica?
Everything we sell is a fan version or replica. We are not affiliated with MLB or any club, and we do not sell game-worn or match-issued shirts.
Sources and method
Every score, pitching line, date and venue on this page was cross-checked against at least two independent reports published on 10–14 October 2026, including the Associated Press game stories of Games 1 and 2 carried by AOL, CBS Sports and NBC News, The Guardian’s Game 2 report, the Japan Times and AFP account of Game 2, MLB.com’s final box scores, and the published championship-series schedule. First-pitch times are Eastern and come from the published championship-series schedule; Games 6 and 7 are listed with the caveat that their start times can shift if the National League Championship Series ends early. The cover photograph shows Tropicana Field during the 2023 AL Wild Card Series (Yamasztuka / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0). Pro Sports Kit sells fan and replica jerseys only.
Written by the Pro Sports Kit editorial team. We sell fan and replica jerseys for MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, NCAA and soccer teams — no affiliation with any league or club is implied. Free shipping on orders over $49, 30-day returns, new stock added weekly.
