Rays same ALCS vs. Guardians: Game 4 winners and losers as Tampa Bay offense finally breaks out

The ALCS is now a best of three. The Tampa Bay Rays finally woke up offensively and won Game 4 against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on Saturday (TB 7, CLE 3). It was only the third time in eight playoff games that the Rays scored as many as four runs. The ALCS is tied 2-2. The best two out of three win the pennant.

Game 4 was tied 1-1 heading into the sixth inning. The Rays were able to take a 2-1 lead after benefiting from back-to-back walks to open the sixth, then broke the game open in the seventh inning thanks in part to defense from Travis Bazzana and Chase DeLauter. They let the same ground ball go under their gloves, resulting in two runs from Jonathan Aranda. triple Single.

Three Rays pitchers kept the Guardians out of the hit column from the second through the seventh inning, but Cleveland rallied around left-hander Ian Seymour and strung together four straight hits with two outs to score two runs in the seventh. Steven Kwan grounded to first with the tying run on base to end the inning. The Guardians are 2-3 at home in the playoffs.

Friday’s rain means Games 4-7 will be played on four consecutive days, if necessary. These two teams will be back in action with Game 5 on Sunday afternoon, with Parker Messick taking the ball for the Guardians and Drew Rasmussen starting for the Rays. This was originally planned to be a day trip. Now here are our winners and losers from Game 4.

Winner: Junior Caminero

The playoffs have been quiet for the Rays superstar and MVP candidate. Caminero went 0 for 4 with four strikeouts in Game 3, including the final three strikeouts on 10 total pitches, and he took a .238/.333/.333 postseason batting line in Game 4. The Rays have struggled to score this postseason (who hasn’t?) largely because Caminero has been so quiet.

The monster, however, begins to wake up. Caminero smashed a rocket to dead center in the fourth round that spun Petey Halpin, although he recovered to make up for the takedown. It was 111 mph right off the bat with a 29 degree launch angle, which is basically perfect. You can’t hit a ball better. On a warmer night this ball is out of the park, but not this night.

This swing, however, was a sign that Caminero is about to be unlocked. In the sixth inning, Caminero gave the Rays a 2-1 lead with a strong double to left field. That was another 111 mph missile coming off his bat:

As good as the Rays are (and they are very good), their attack is heavy. The lineup thins out quickly after the top five hitters and Caminero is their only true game changer. He’s the guy who can turn a game around with one hit every time. The Rays have no path to the pennant – zero – without Caminero driving the bus. Game 4 brought strong contact and signs that Caminero is waking up.

“Overall, I’m just happy that Junior was able to get a couple of balls, Aranda made a big move for us, and then Yandy at the end with a two-run extra homer,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said after the game.

Loser: Steven Kwan’s lip

The Guardians made the Rays sweat in the bottom of the seventh. Tampa extended its lead to 5-1 in the top of the inning, but four straight hits with two outs pushed Cleveland to within two runs, cutting the deficit to 5-3. Seymour was throwing for the third time in the series and he fooled no one. The Guardians took powerful, comfortable hits against him.

Cleveland’s seventh-inning rally ended when Kwan grounded out to first base with the tying run at first. He slid in headfirst in an attempt to beat Seymour to the bag, which didn’t work. He was out. To make matters worse, Kwan face-planted and broke his lip on the slide. He entered the field with a bandage and a bloodied lip during the next half-inning.

The Guardians are one of the smartest and most analytical teams in the game. Someone at the front office should tell Kwan that you get to first base faster when you run through the bag. Sliding slows you down, Steven.

Winner: Guys who reinvented themselves in Japan

Foster Griffin technically did not start Game 4 for the Guardians. He came out of the bullpen behind opener Shawn Armstrong, but he absorbed the most innings for Cleveland, as did true starter Nick Martinez for the Rays. Martinez allowed one run in 5 ⅔ innings in Game 4. Griffin allowed one run in 3 ⅔ innings. Good night to both of them.

Griffin and Martinez followed similar paths to Game 4 of the ALCS. They got their start in MLB years ago but couldn’t stick with it, so they went to Japan and reinvented themselves. Martinez refined his changeup. Griffin added about three new locations. They eventually returned to MLB and both earned selections to the All-Star Game in 2026.

Martinez has appeared in three playoff appearances and signed over $60 million in contracts since returning from Japan. Griffin is well-positioned to take advantage of his free agent status this offseason, now that he has proven himself in MLB. Going abroad and changing your strategy can allow you to return to the big leagues. Martinez and Griffin are two of the biggest success stories from Japan’s MLB to the game’s MLB.

Loser: all of us watching

Let’s be real here: the ALCS was a slog compared to the Brewers vs. Dodgers NLCS. Even though Milwaukee swept, it was an exciting and entertaining four games. This Guardians vs Rays series doesn’t have much juice at all. This feels like an old regular midweek series in June. This series is now best of three. Hopefully this ends on a high note to make up for games 1-4.