Rays beat Guardians 7-3 to even the ALCS at 2-2

The Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians 7-3 on Saturday, Oct. 17, at Progressive Field and tied the American League Championship Series at two games apiece. Rain on Friday forced the game to be pushed back a day, Yahoo Sports reported.

The home team took the lead in the first inning on a Chase DeLauter single that drove in the run. It held until the sixth, when Junior Caminero doubled off reliever Daniel Espino to put Tampa Bay ahead 2-1.

The game broke open in the seventh. Jonathan Aranda singled on a ball that slipped under DeLauter's glove, scoring Richie Palacios and Taylor Walls. Aranda later crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly by Chandler Simpson. Cleveland answered with a Travis Bazzana homer and an RBI from Brayan Rocchio, and stayed at 5-3.

Yandy Díaz put it away in the ninth, when his two-run homer off Matt Festa made it 7-3. It was his first home run of this postseason, according to NBC Sports. Tampa Bay collected 11 hits.

Starter Nick Martínez pitched 5⅓ innings, allowing one run and two hits, and got the win (1-0), the first postseason victory of his career. Espino took the loss (0-1).

Rays manager Kevin Cash said after the game:

"It means a lot because we know that we play well at home in front of our fans."

On Aranda's single, Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said it "looked like it may have snaked on" DeLauter "or just skipped by him."

Cleveland had taken a 2-1 lead in Game 3, decided by a home run from rookie Petey Halpin. With Game 4 played on the scheduled off day, Game 5 is Sunday with no rest, and the series returns to St. Petersburg on Monday.

Whoever advances will face the Milwaukee Brewers, who swept the Dodgers 4-0 in the National League Championship Series. The World Series opens Friday, Oct. 23, at Milwaukee's ballpark.