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Drew Rasmussen wins the pitchers' duel that wasn't as Rays move within one win of World Series berth

The Tampa Bay Rays secured a 3-1 victory over the Cleveland Guardians in Game 5 of the ALCS on Sunday, cutting their deficit to one win as they edge closer to a World Series appearance. The matchup was expected to feature a high-stakes pitchers' duel between Rays ace Drew Rasmussen and Guardians rookie left-hander Parker Messick, both of whom had strong regular seasons.

Rasmussen, who ranked third in fWAR (5.0) and fourth in ERA (2.67), had previously pitched six strong innings in Game 1, while Messick, fourth in fWAR (4.9) and third in ERA (2.56), had allowed three runs in five innings during Game 2. However, the Rays' lineup overwhelmed Messick early, forcing him to throw 57 pitches in the first two innings alone, leading to an early bullpen call by Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt.

Rasmussen capitalized on the Guardians' defensive struggles, holding his team to just one extra-base hit while the Rays built a commanding 3-0 lead in the third inning, ultimately securing the win without needing his own dominant performance to carry the day.

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