The Tampa Bay Rays are one win from the World Series. They lead the Cleveland Guardians 3-2 in the American League Championship Series. Game 6 is Monday, October 19, at 8 p.m. ET at Tropicana Field on TBS, with Freddy Peralta starting for Tampa Bay.
When and where is ALCS Game 6?
| Game | ALCS Game 6, Guardians at Rays |
| Date | Monday, October 19, 2026 |
| Time | 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT |
| Venue | Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida |
| TV | TBS (truTV also listed) |
| Series | Rays lead 3-2 |
| Game 7 (if needed) | Tuesday, October 20, Tropicana Field |
Who is pitching in Game 6?
ESPN lists these probable pitchers:
- Rays: Freddy Peralta (1-0, 0.79 ERA this postseason). In Game 2 he threw six innings of four-hit ball. The AP reported he reached 99.4 mph, the hardest pitch of his career, and threw his fastball on 71 of 99 pitches.
- Guardians: Shawn Armstrong (0-0, 0.00). Armstrong is a reliever, so this looks like a bullpen game, with Cleveland asking several arms to cover nine innings.
How did the Rays take a 3-2 lead?
Cleveland led twice. Tampa Bay then won the two games that mattered most in Cleveland.
| Game | Result | Key moment |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guardians 7, Rays 3 | Nathaniel Lowe's tiebreaking two-run single in the 8th |
| 2 | Rays 3, Guardians 1 | Peralta dominates; Liam Hicks' two-run single |
| 3 | Guardians 3, Rays 2 | Petey Halpin's two-run homer and bat flip |
| 4 | Rays 7, Guardians 3 | Jonathan Aranda's three hits; Yandy Díaz homer |
| 5 | Rays 3, Guardians 1 | Drew Rasmussen: seven innings, one run |
After Friday's rainout, Games 4, 5 and 6 are on three straight days with no travel day. That puts extra strain on both bullpens.
In Game 5, Rasmussen gave up four hits and struck out six. According to AP, he is 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA in three postseason starts. "He got in rhythm with the fastball," Rays manager Kevin Cash said.
Yandy Díaz, who had three hits Sunday, was blunt about Monday: "It all ends tomorrow. We're going to win tomorrow."
Can Cleveland come back?
They have already done it once this October. The Guardians lost the first two games of their Division Series to the Chicago White Sox, then won three straight. According to AP, they were only the 11th team to overcome an 0-2 deficit in a best-of-five series.
To win this series, though, they need two road wins in two days at Tropicana Field. AP notes that road teams that won Game 5 to lead 3-2 have won four of five ALCS since 1985.
Who plays in the World Series?
The Milwaukee Brewers. They swept the Dodgers in the NLCS and host Game 1 on Friday, October 23. Read more: Brewers sweep Dodgers to reach their first World Series since 1982.
