Rays Fall to the Guardians in First Wild Card Game

By Madison Walker and Tyler Carmona

Wild Card Battle – Game 1

The Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians finished game one of their wild card series Friday night, with the Guardians coming out victorious at home for their fans to see. Taking home the first victory of the series, the Guardians defeated Tampa Bay two-to-one and had a hot defense the whole game. The Rays could not catch a break from strike-outs, ground-outs, to pop-ups; the Rays could only seem to make it to home base from one home run. This series determines who will grab the wild card for the American League and advance to the 2022 postseason.

Tampa Bay Rays Hitting

The first five innings were pretty uneventful for both teams offensively. Steadily moving from one inning to another with no runs, each team was waiting to make a move. The Rays had difficulty seeing the ball with pitcher Shane Bieber for the Guardians throwing heat for 7 ½ innings. Striking out the side back-to-back in the first half of the game and Cleveland’s defense not letting anything by made it nearly impossible for Tampa Bay to catch a break. If hitters could make contact with the ball, they would fly out to center to be caught by center-fielder Myles Straw or ground out before they could make it to first base. Due to the fire defense, the first game of the postseason was quick and to the point.

Today's Rays-Guardians game lasted 2 hours and 17 minutes.

It's the shortest #Postseason game since 1999 (NLDS Astros vs Braves Game 2). pic.twitter.com/pJVHH1pCRQ

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 7, 2022

However, both teams started to heat up once the sixth inning rolled around. In the top of the sixth inning, with one out, outfielder Jose Siri comes to the plate after flying out to center on his first appearance. Bieber throws a four-seam fastball, and Siri hits it over the gap in right-center field and out of the park giving the Rays a one-nothing lead in the top of the sixth. Little did they know this would be the Rays’ one and only score of the night.

Later in the sixth, the Guardians were able to take two runs out from under the Rays and result in a win from Game one.

Tampa Bay Rays Pitching

One pitch was all that was needed to solidify the Rays sixth straight loss in six days. Despite a solid performance, pitcher Shane McClanahan threw one sixth-inning change-up that he said he regrets. McClanahan lofted a pitch to All-Star third baseman Jose Ramirez that knocked in the Guardian’s only two runs. Prior to that, McClanahan had already struck out four batters and only given up five hits. His pick’s two-point fifty-seven ERA in the regular season is a prime factor for the Rays being in this position. After throwing seven innings, the former first-round pick was replaced by relief pitcher Garrett Cleavinger. Cleavinger allowed just one hit in his only inning pitched. The Rays hope to avoid elimination as they face the Guardians Saturday, October eighth at twelve-o-seven p.m ET. Tyler Glasnow is expected to face off against Guardians pitcher Triston Mckenzie. The former World Series Game 1 starter is coming off Tommy John surgery; his first game back since twenty-twenty-one was on September twenty-eighth.

Game 2 on the Way

After a disappointing loss yesterday in Cleveland for the Rays, they are looking to turn things around and take game two to stay in the race for the American League Wild Card. The next game will commence today at noon.