ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Nathaniel Lowe ripped a tiebreaking two-run single in the eighth inning, lifting the Cleveland Guardians to a 7-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series.
With the game tied at 2-2, Jose Ramirez reached on an infield single to lead off the eighth against Tyler Wells (0-1). Ramirez advanced to third base on a double from rookie Chase DeLauter. One out later, Lowe plated both with a line-drive single to center field on an 0-2 pitch from Ian Seymour.
Ramirez, who had an RBI single in the ninth inning, joined DeLauter in collecting three hits apiece. Both players scored on Jo Adell’s two-run double in the ninth, helping Cleveland hand Tampa Bay its first loss of the postseason.
Game 2 is Tuesday in St. Petersburg.
The late uprising made a winner out of Hunter Gaddis (1-0), who allowed one hit over one scoreless inning. The Cleveland bullpen delivered five innings of one-run ball.
DeLauter homered to lead off the sixth inning and Patrick Bailey did the same in the seventh for the Guardians, who have won four in a row since facing a 0-2 deficit against the Chicago White Sox in the AL Division Series.
Cedric Mullins belted a solo homer in the eighth inning and Junior Caminero and Jonny DeLuca each had an RBI single for Tampa Bay.
Wells permitted two runs on two hits in one-third of an inning while pitching in a game for the first time since Sept. 12.
Tampa Bay got off to a fast start against Guardians starter Foster Griffin, recording four hits in the first inning to take a 2-0 lead.
Yandy Diaz doubled to lead off the inning. He advanced to third base on a sacrifice bunt and scored on Caminero’s RBI single to left-center field.
Caminero moved to second base on a two-out single by Victor Mesa Jr. and scored on DeLuca’s single to center field.
In the sixth, DeLauter halved the deficit by depositing a first-pitch fastball from Drew Rasmussen over the wall in left-center field. The homer was the first of DeLauter’s postseason career.
Bailey forged a 2-2 tie after sending a first-pitch cutter from Rasmussen over the wall in center field. Bailey’s second homer in his last three games sent Rasmussen to the showers.
Rasmussen allowed two runs on eight hits and no walks in six-plus innings. He struck out seven.
Griffin yielded two runs on five hits in four innings. He fanned three without issuing a walk.
