The Rays Guardians ALCS showdown begins tonight. Game 1 of the American League Championship Series is set for Monday, October 12 at 8 p.m. ET at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, with the Tampa Bay Rays hosting the Cleveland Guardians in a best-of-seven battle for a trip to the World Series. Tampa Bay right-hander Drew Rasmussen gets the ball against Cleveland left-hander Foster Griffin in an intriguing opener, according to NBC Sports’ 2026 MLB playoffs tracker.
It is a matchup of contrasts: the Rays (98-64), who steamrolled through the American League’s best regular-season record and swept the Yankees out of the ALDS, against the scrappy Guardians (85-77), who climbed out of a 2-0 hole to stun the White Sox in five games. The winner advances to face the NLCS champion — either the Brewers or Dodgers — in the 2026 World Series, which begins October 23.
Rays Guardians ALCS Game 1: Drew Rasmussen vs. Foster Griffin
Rasmussen has been one of the postseason’s breakout arms. In ALDS Game 1 against the Yankees, he carried a no-hit bid into the eighth inning, struck out 10, and threw eight scoreless frames in a 1-0 Tampa Bay victory. The Rays are betting he can replicate that dominance under the Tropicana Field lights.
Cleveland, meanwhile, is rolling the dice on an unconventional pick. Foster Griffin, a 30-year-old journeyman acquired from the Washington Nationals at the trade deadline after earning an NL All-Star nod, finished the season 15-6 with a 3.60 ERA. With Parker Messick and Gavin Williams both unavailable after their Game 4 and Game 5 heroics, Guardians manager Stephen Vogt handed Griffin the Game 1 start, the Akron Beacon Journal reported.
Griffin’s relief outing in ALDS Game 3 offered a glimpse of his swing-and-miss stuff: 2⅔ innings, one run, two hits — and seven strikeouts of the 11 batters he faced. There is also a matchup logic at play. The Beacon Journal noted the Rays ranked just 25th in baseball with a .679 OPS against left-handed pitchers this season, and 133 of their 169 home runs came against righties. Cleveland is leaning into the splits.
Rays Guardians ALCS: How Tampa Bay Got Here
The Rays swept the Yankees 3-0 in the ALDS, winning the series opener 1-0 behind Rasmussen’s gem, taking Game 2 by a 5-2 score, and closing out the sweep 4-3 in Game 3. Tampa Bay’s 98 wins were the AL’s best mark, and the Rays also won the regular-season series against Cleveland 5-1.
Now the franchise is chasing the one thing that has eluded it: a first World Series title. The Rays’ road to the pennant is complicated by the loss of ace Shane McClanahan, who is out for the entire postseason with a forearm injury — a blow to a rotation already being asked to carry a heavy load.
Guardians’ ALDS Comeback: From the Brink to the ALCS
The Guardians’ ALDS comeback was one of the most dramatic storylines of the postseason. Cleveland dropped the first two games to the Chicago White Sox (3-0 and 4-3), then roared back with 9-3 and 9-5 wins to force a winner-take-all Game 5.
Game 5 was a pitching masterpiece: José Ramírez launched a two-run homer, and Gavin Williams carried a no-hitter through 5⅔ innings with 12 strikeouts in the 2-0 clincher. The White Sox struck out 21 times — a record for a nine-inning postseason game. The Guardians are now in the ALCS for the second time in three years.
ALCS 2026: Full Schedule
Here is the complete Rays Guardians ALCS schedule, per NBC Sports (all times ET; games 5-7 if necessary):
- Game 1: Guardians at Rays — Monday, Oct. 12, 8:00 p.m.
- Game 2: Guardians at Rays — Tuesday, Oct. 13, 8:00 p.m.
- Game 3: Rays at Guardians — Thursday, Oct. 15, 6:00 p.m.
- Game 4: Rays at Guardians — Friday, Oct. 16, 6:00 p.m.
- Game 5*: Rays at Guardians — Saturday, Oct. 17, 8:00 p.m.
- Game 6*: Guardians at Rays — Monday, Oct. 19, 5:00 p.m.
- Game 7*: Guardians at Rays — Tuesday, Oct. 20, 8:00 p.m.
Tampa Bay holds home-field advantage as the AL’s top seed. Meanwhile, the NLCS is already underway: the Dodgers took Game 1 against the Brewers on Sunday, October 11 at 8 p.m. ET, with Game 2 scheduled for Monday at 5 p.m. ET. The Los Angeles Dodgers are the reigning back-to-back World Series champions, according to NBC Sports.
What to Watch in Game 1
The central question of the opener is whether Tampa Bay’s power — 169 regular-season homers, nearly all against right-handers — can solve a lefty it has rarely seen. Griffin has started just a handful of high-leverage games in his career, but the Guardians have thrived on exactly this kind of unconventional path all October.
For the Rays, the equation is simpler: Rasmussen was nearly untouchable against the Yankees, and a repeat performance in Game 1 would put Cleveland’s Cinderella run in immediate danger. First pitch is 8 p.m. ET tonight at Tropicana Field.
FAQ: Rays vs. Guardians ALCS Game 1
Q: When is ALCS Game 1 between the Rays and Guardians?
A: ALCS Game 1 is Monday, October 12, 2026 at 8 p.m. ET at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. It is a best-of-seven series, and the winner advances to the 2026 World Series, which begins October 23.
Q: Who are the starting pitchers for Rays vs. Guardians ALCS Game 1?
A: Tampa Bay right-hander Drew Rasmussen starts for the Rays — he carried a no-hit bid into the 8th inning with 10 strikeouts in ALDS Game 1 against the Yankees. Cleveland counters with left-hander Foster Griffin (15-6, 3.60 ERA), a trade-deadline acquisition from the Nationals who struck out seven of 11 batters in relief in ALDS Game 3.
Q: How did the Rays and Guardians reach the ALCS?
A: The Rays (98-64) swept the Yankees 3-0 in the ALDS. The Guardians (85-77) rallied from a 2-0 deficit to beat the White Sox 3-2, capped by a 2-0 Game 5 win in which José Ramírez homered and Gavin Williams carried a no-hitter into the 6th with 12 strikeouts.
Q: Who is in the NLCS?
A: The Milwaukee Brewers face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS, per NBC Sports. The Dodgers — the reigning back-to-back World Series champions — won Game 1 on Sunday, October 11; Game 2 is Monday at 5 p.m. ET.
Sources
- NBC Sports: 2026 MLB Playoffs Tracker — bracket, schedule, results, scores, matchups
- Akron Beacon Journal: Guardians name Foster Griffin as ALCS Game 1 starting pitcher vs Rays
- Wikipedia: 2026 American League Division Series
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