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Guardians-Rays ALCS Game 1 FAQ (Mon., 8 ET, TBS/HBO Max)

The Cleveland Guardians and Tampa Bay Rays will square off in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series on Monday at 8 p.m. ET, with the matchup airing on TBS and HBO Max.

Both franchises are chasing their first World Series title in decades—the Guardians last won in 1948, while the Rays have never hoisted a championship since their 1998 debut. The Guardians earned their spot after a hard-fought five-game series victory over the Chicago White Sox, while the Rays breezed through the AL Division Series with a three-game sweep of the New York Yankees, cementing their status as the top team in the league for much of the season.

Their postseason history includes a tight 2022 Wild Card Series, where Cleveland won in dramatic fashion, including a 1-0, 15-inning thriller in Game 2. This year’s regular-season matchups were equally close, with five of six games decided by three runs or fewer, including two 1-0 victories by Tampa Bay.

Beyond the field, the two teams share notable connections: Rays third baseman Junior Caminero, designated hitter Yandy Díaz, and reliever Kevin Kelly were all former Guardians prospects. Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt and Tampa Bay skipper Kevin Cash, both AL Manager of the Year winners, also have ties to the franchises, with Cash previously serving as Cleveland’s bullpen coach.

The series promises a clash of disciplined, small-market teams with a chance to end historic title droughts.

Up nextMLB· 2h ago

The AL-best Rays are a formidable foe. How do the Guards match up?