Rays bullpen suffers embarrassing late meltdown as Cleveland bullies Tampa Bay in Game 1

The Tampa Bay bullpen ran out of gas late Monday night. After 7 innings of grind-it-out baseball in St. Petersburg, the Cleveland Guardians broke out with 5 runs over the last 2 frames to take Game 1 of the ALCS, 7-3.

José Ramírez and Chase DeLauter of the Cleveland Guardians commemorate after scoring runs throughout the 8th inning versus the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series at Tropicana Field on Oct. 12, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Getty Images)

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The Rays drew very first blood.With 2 outs in the opening frame, Junior Caminero and Jonny DeLuca ripped successive RBI knocks to put Tampa Bay up 2-0. Rays starter Drew Rasmussen kept that lead strong through 5 innings, punching out 7.Cleveland lastly broke Rasmussen in the 6th when Chase DeLauter got on a heating system and introduced an opposite-field solo shot over the right-center wall.CLICK ON THIS LINK TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APPPatrick Bailey pulled Cleveland even leading off the seventh, hooking a solo blast down the right-field line to end Rasmussen’s night at 2-2.The Guardians kept the heat on in the 8th versus Tyler Wells and Ian Seymour. Ramirez began the fire with a hustle infield single, DeLauter ripped a double down the line, and Nathaniel Lowe laced a consent, two-run single to make it 4-2.WORLD SERIES CHAMPION SAYS POTENTIAL MLB LOCKOUT COULD ‘ABSOLUTELY’ CAUSE CANCELLED GAMES NEXT SEASONTampa Bay responded to in the bottom of the 8th when pinch-hitter Cedric Mullins assailed Erik Sabrowski with a solo shot to right, cutting the deficit to 4-3.

MLB PROPOSES REVERTING SCHEDULE BACK TO ITS OLD WAYS, BUT NOT WITHOUT A WILD POSTSEASON TWISTJose Ramirez provided the knockout blow.Topping a 3-for-5 night with 2 runs scored, Cleveland’s veteran 3rd baseman actioned in with 2 outs in the ninth and lined an RBI single into straight off Cole Sulser to make it 5-3. After Sulser strolled DeLauter, Kevin Kelly went into to deal with Jo Adell. The mid-season acquisition stepped up to the huge minute, ripping a two-run double down the third-base line to put the contest on ice at 7-3.