The 2026 World Series will end with a franchise lifting the trophy for the first time. The Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians 7-3 in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series on Monday, October 19, at Tropicana Field, closing out the series 4-2 and booking a matchup with the Milwaukee Brewers, the National League's top seed.
Game 1 is set for Friday night, October 23, at American Family Field in Milwaukee.
How Game 6 was won
Richie Palacios put Tampa Bay in front in the second inning with a two-out, two-run double. Freddy Peralta did the rest of the early work, holding Cleveland to one run on five hits over 5⅓ innings in front of a sellout crowd of 40,230.
The Rays pulled away late. Junior Caminero hit a two-run home run off Guardians closer Cade Smith in the seventh, and Yandy Díaz added another two-run shot in the eighth. In between, reliever Kevin Kelly struck out Brayan Rocchio with the bases loaded in the eighth to protect the lead, and Bryan Baker got the final outs.
Peralta was named ALCS MVP. Beyond Game 6, he threw six scoreless innings to win Game 2 and recorded two outs in relief in Game 4.
A comeback series
Tampa Bay never led the series until Game 5. The Rays fell behind 1-0 and then 2-1 before winning three straight games, the last two at home. They had reached the ALCS by sweeping the New York Yankees in the Division Series.
The pennant is the third in franchise history. The Rays lost the 2008 World Series to the Philadelphia Phillies in five games and the 2020 Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers in six.
Two droughts, one ends
Milwaukee swept the Dodgers in the NLCS to reach its first World Series since 1982, when the Brewers lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games. They are the only team that won more home games than the Rays during the regular season; Tampa Bay won 55 at home.
It is the first World Series since 1980 — when the Phillies beat the Kansas City Royals — in which neither club had won a championship before.
For Cleveland, the loss stretches its title drought to 78 years. The Guardians last won the World Series in 1948 and last played in one in 2016, losing to the Chicago Cubs.
The ballpark back from Milton
The Rays' road to the pennant also ran through a repaired building. Hurricane Milton tore off much of Tropicana Field's roof two years ago, forcing the team to play the 2025 season at the Yankees' spring training complex in Tampa. The club, under new ownership this season, has a deal for a new stadium near the Buccaneers' NFL stadium, expected to open in 2029.
Reporting from Bay News 9, CBS Sports and NBC Sports.
