Tampa Bay beat Cleveland 3-1 on Sunday to reach the brink of the World Series. The Rays hold a 3-2 series lead in the ALCS, one win away from ending their drought and advancing to October's biggest stage.
The Guardians kept it close throughout, but the Rays' lineup did enough damage to grab control of this series. Tampa Bay has shown the formula all postseason: timely hitting mixed with solid pitching. Cleveland fought back from down in this matchup, as they have before, but couldn't finish the job.
Game 6 looms as the Guardians' last chance to force a Game 7. The Rays smell it now. They've been here before in recent years and couldn't finish. This group knows the window stays open only if they take care of business at home.