The Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians 7–3 in ALCS Game 4 at Progressive Field on October 17, tying the series at two wins each. Tampa Bay broke open a one-run game with three runs in the seventh inning, then Yandy Díaz hit a two-run homer in the ninth after Cleveland had cut the deficit to two.
For US readers, this was Saturday night’s game; it finished in the early hours of Sunday, October 18, in Britain. The Rays had entered trailing the series 2–1. The win restored parity, but the scoring sequence shows a tighter contest than a four-run final margin alone might suggest.
Game 4 scoring checkpoints
| Stage | Rays | Guardians |
|---|---|---|
| End of 1st | 0 | 1 |
| End of 3rd | 1 | 1 |
| End of 6th | 2 | 1 |
| Top of 7th completed | 5 | 1 |
| End of 7th | 5 | 3 |
| Final | 7 | 3 |
October 17, 2026. Series tied 2–2. Aranda’s seventh-inning scoring play included a fielding error.
A one-run game became a seventh-inning opening
Cleveland scored first when Chase DeLauter singled home Steven Kwan in the first inning. Jonathan Aranda answered with an RBI single in the third, before Junior Caminero’s sixth-inning double drove in Aranda for a 2–1 Tampa Bay lead. Through six innings, neither team had created a comfortable cushion.
The seventh changed that. Richie Palacios and Taylor Walls reached base and then completed a double steal. Aranda’s single to right, combined with a fielding error by DeLauter, brought both runners home and left Aranda at third. Chandler Simpson’s sacrifice fly made it 5–1. The two runs on Aranda’s play should not both be described as RBI from a clean two-run hit: the official sequence includes the error.
Cleveland answered before Díaz supplied insurance
Cleveland replied in the bottom of the inning. Travis Bazzana hit a solo homer, and Brayan Rocchio singled home Patrick Bailey to make it 5–3. That response matters to the interpretation of the game: Tampa Bay’s seventh-inning burst created separation, but it did not end Cleveland’s opportunity to come back.
In the ninth, Palacios singled and Walls advanced him with a sacrifice bunt. Díaz then homered to right to restore a four-run lead at 7–3. Bryan Baker finished the bottom half after a Bazzana single, a Bailey double play and an Ángel Martínez strikeout. The final out, rather than an earlier live-score display, confirmed the result.
Where to find the official plays
MLB’s official Game 4 story links the scoring highlights, while its Gameday page provides the full play-by-play and box score. Use the seventh-inning Aranda play alongside Díaz’s ninth-inning homer to see how the lead grew and was secured. These are highlight and match-record routes, not a promise of a full-game replay or a particular US or UK subscription entitlement.
The Rays’ route to 2–2 was built in stages: a sixth-inning lead, three seventh-inning runs, and insurance after Cleveland fought back. The four-run win therefore reflects both a productive attack and the need to answer the Guardians’ reply. It leaves the ALCS level, with neither team’s passage to the World Series decided.
Based on MLB’s official final Gameday record and scoring highlights.
AI assisted with drafting and editing. This article is part of our preview edition. Editorial standards & corrections →