CLEVELAND — Jonathan Aranda’s single led to two runs in the seventh inning when the ball got by right fielder Chase DeLauter, Nick Martinez pitched 5 1/3 innings for his first postseason win and the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Cleveland Guardians 7-3 Saturday night to even the AL Championship Series at 2-2.
Game 5 of the best-of-seven matchup is Sunday in Cleveland before the series shifts back to St. Petersburg, Florida, on Monday. There is no off day for travel after Friday’s game was postponed by rain.
“It means a lot because we know that we play well at home in front of our fans. We’ve got a huge game, another swing game tomorrow,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said.
Cleveland’s Travis Bazzana hit his first postseason home run but also had a fielding error at second on a tough night for the Guardians’ defense.
The first four hitters in the Rays order — Yandy Díaz, Aranda, Chandler Simpson and Junior Caminero — had six of the Rays’ 11 hits and drove in six runs after they went 7 for 41 with three RBIs the first three ALCS games.
Aranda had three hits and drove in two runs after going 0 for 10 in the first three games. Diaz had two hits and two RBIs, including a two-run homer in the ninth off Matt Festa, while Simpson and Caminero each drove in a run.
“A lot of really good at-bats. A lot of hard hits,” Cash said. “But overall, just happy that Junior squared some balls up, Aranda came through in a big way for us and then Yandy there at the end with a two-run, add-on homer.”
Pitching on a 46-degree night, Martinez (1-0) allowed one run and two hits in his second career postseason start and 10th appearance. After DeLauter’s RBI single put Cleveland up 1-0 in the first, Martinez retired 10 straight at one point before walking Bazzana leading off the fifth.
Tampa Bay took a 2-1 lead in the sixth when Caminero lined a double to the left-field wall off Daniel Espino (0-1), then broke open the game in a three-run seventh.
Richie Palacios and Taylor Walls got aboard on base hits and moved into scoring position on a double steal. After Díaz struck out, Aranda lined a single past a diving Bazzana, who was playing near the grass between first and second, and into right field.
Palacios scored and when DeLauter allowed the ball under his glove, Walls came around from second. Aranda went all the way to third and scored on Simpson’s sacrifice fly.
“It looked like it may have snaked on him or just skipped by him, took his eye off of it,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. “A couple unfortunate plays for us tonight that we usually complete and just weren’t able to do it.”
Bazzana homered in the seventh against Ian Seymour and Brayan Rocchio added an RBI single as Cleveland closed to 5-3.
Shawn Armstrong opened and struck out one batter in the first inning before giving way to Foster Griffin.
Up next
Cleveland rookie Parker Messick (0-2, 3.09 ERA) will make his fourth start this postseason. He went five innings and was charged with three unearned runs in Tuesday’s 3-1 loss in Game 2.
Tampa Bay’s Drew Rasmussen (1-0, 1.29 ERA) allowed two runs over six innings in Game 1 and struck out seven before the Guardians rallied for a 7-3 victory.
