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On 18th anniversary of first World Series berth, Rays reach third as AL's best team

The Tampa Bay Rays etched their name into history once again on Monday night, clinching their third American League pennant in franchise history with a 7-3 victory over the Cleveland Guardians in Game 6 of the ALCS. The win marked the team’s return to the World Series for the first time since 2008, capping an unforgettable season that saw them overcome adversity to secure the top spot in the AL.

The decisive moment came in the ninth inning, when closer Bryan Baker induced a pop-up from Chase DeLauter, which was snagged by Liam Hicks for the final out, sealing the Rays’ destiny before a crowd of 40,230 at Tropicana Field. This triumph follows the Rays’ first-ever World Series appearance in 2008, a night immortalized by Akinori Iwamura’s iconic catch in Game 1 of that postseason, a moment now commemorated in bronze outside the stadium alongside Evan Longoria’s 2011 walk-off heroics.

Manager Kevin Cash, who has overseen all three of the Rays’ pennant-winning campaigns, guided the team to victory, while stars like Longoria and former rookie sensation David Price—who pitched in that historic 2008 Game 1—remain central figures in the franchise’s journey toward championship glory. The path to the Fall Classic now opens against the Milwaukee Brewers, with this latest milestone already cemented in Rays lore.

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