LOS ANGELES.- The Latin artillery of the Tampa Bay Rays woke up this Saturday and led the 7-3 victory against the Cleveland Guardianswhich placed a tie in this series of the playoffs of the Major League Baseball.
Rays and Guardians are tied 2-2 in the American League Championship Serieswhich is played in the best of seven games and will continue with the fifth episode on Sunday in cleveland (Ohio).
Sunday was supposed to be a rest day in this tie, but rain in Cleveland led to the suspension of the game scheduled for Friday.
The rest felt great for the Mexican Jonathan Arandato the Dominican Junior Caminero and to the Cuban Yandy Diazthe Rays’ top bats, who commanded a blitz of Tampa in the Progressive Field.
The trio, which had been subdued in the first three games, combined for a home run, four runs, five RBIs and six hits.
Díaz, a former Guardians player, certified the victory with a two-run home run in the last inning and Caminero put his finger to his mouth to ask the 33,000 Cleveland fans for silence.
“It’s part of the game, enjoying the moment. I told them to calm down, we’re here,” said the 23-year-old Dominican hitter.
Led by its “Big 3”, Tampa took off on the scoreboard after a first score by Cleveland and rekindled its dream of reaching the first title in its history.
The Florida franchise, defeated in the World Series from 2008 and 2020, is one of the five of the Major Leagues who has never won the championship.
Rays or Guardians will fight for the title in the World Series against the Milwaukee Brewerswho on Thursday dethroned the Los Angeles Dodgers by completing a 4-0 sweep in the National League.
Frustrated comeback
Without rain, but with intense cold, the Guardians warmed up their audience by opening the scoreboard in the first inning.
The American Chase DeLauter he hit a single to right field that allowed his compatriot Steven Kwan will go through the register.
Guardianes, winners of the third game on Thursday, were on their way to a victory that opened the door to finishing the series at home on Sunday as well.
But Caminero, Díaz and Aranda’s bats caught fire just in time to turn the score around.
First it was Díaz who hit a double in the third inning and Aranda drove in him for the Rays’ first run.
It was the Tijuana hitter’s first hit in this tie, after he had an outstanding performance in the victory against the New York Yankees in the Division Series.
In the sixth inning, against the Panamanian reliever Daniel EspinoAranda walked and Caminero led the way to the plate with a double to left field.
Aranda struck again in the seventh inning by hitting a line drive to right field that DeLauter failed to catch, allowing two more runs for the visitors. The Mexican, who reached third base, finished the damage by scoring after a sacrifice fly by Chandler Simpson.
Even though they were down 5-1, the Guardians decided not to give up. The Australian Travis Bazzana He reactivated the stands with a solo home run and Patrick Bailey He reduced the deficit even more after a single by the Venezuelan Brayan Rocchio.
Cleveland’s advance was stopped by the relievers Kevin Kelly and Cam Booser in the eighth inning and Díaz brought down the blind in the ninth with a monumental two-run home run, his first home run in this postseason.
