Rays beat Guardians 7-3 in Game 6 to win the American League pennant

ST. PETERSBURG — The Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians 7-3 on Monday at Tropicana Field in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series.

Tampa Bay wins the series 4-2, wins the American League pennant and advances to the World Series. Cleveland's season is over.

Tampa Bay opened the scoring in the bottom of the second. Richie Palacios doubled to right field, scoring Chandler Simpson and Victor Mesa Jr. for a 2-0 lead.

The Rays added a run in the third, when Junior Caminero scored on Jonny DeLuca's sacrifice fly to left field, making it 3-0.

Cleveland got on the board in the sixth, when Nathaniel Lowe singled to centre field and Chase DeLauter scored, cutting the lead to 3-1.

Caminero made it 5-1 in the seventh with a two-run home run to left field off Cade Smith, scoring Liam Hicks.

The Guardians closed within two in the eighth. DeLauter scored on Patrick Bailey's bases-loaded walk, and Lowe scored when Angel Martínez was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, making it 5-3.

Yandy Díaz answered in the bottom of the eighth, hitting a two-run home run to left field off Hunter Gaddis that scored Taylor Walls and closed the scoring at 7-3.

Freddy Peralta earned the win, improving to 2-0, after allowing one run on five hits over 5 1/3 innings with three walks and three strikeouts. Bryan Baker pitched a scoreless ninth.

Shawn Armstrong took the loss for Cleveland, falling to 0-1. He allowed one run on one hit in one inning as the first of eight Guardians pitchers.

Caminero finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two runs batted in. Palacios had two hits and two runs batted in. DeLauter led Cleveland at 2-for-5 with two runs scored, and Lowe went 2-for-3 with a run batted in.

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