The Tampa Bay Rays will face the Milwaukee Brewers in the World Series after sealing victory over the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Championship Series.

Freddy Peralta threw 5 1/3 gritty innings, while Junior Caminero and Yandy Díaz each hit a two-run homer, as the Rays secured a 7-3 win in Game 6 to secure a third American League pennant.

Tampa Bay, which overcame the New York Yankees earlier in the playoffs, is chasing a first World Series win in the franchise's 28-year history. 

For the Guardians, however, the loss extended their championship drought to 78 years.

The Rays' two previous appearances in the World Series ended in defeats by the Philadelphia Phillies (2008) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (2020).

This year, Tampa Bay will face the Brewers in the first matchup in which both teams are seeking their first World Series title since 1980, when the Phillies beat the Kansas City Royals. Game 1 is Friday night in Milwaukee.

On the 18-year anniversary of their first AL pennant in 2008, the Rays jumped ahead 2-0 in the second inning on Richie Palacios' two-run double and clinched it with closer Bryan Baker on the mound.

The Guardians wouldn't give up and had the go-ahead run at first base in the eighth when Kevin Kelly struck out Brayan Rocchio to leave the bases loaded after two runs scored.

Peralta allowed one run and five hits to earn his second win in the ALCS in his third appearance. He threw six scoreless innings to win Game 2 and got two outs in relief in Game 4.

A sellout crowd of 40,230 fans waved yellow-and-blue rally towels, rang cowbells and chanted 'Let's go Rays!' throughout the night at Tropicana Field, which needed major renovations after Hurricane Milton shredded the roof two years ago and caused extensive damage throughout the stadium.

The Rays played their 2025 home games across the bay in Tampa at the New York Yankees´ spring training complex, got new ownership before this season and secured a new stadium deal to bear ready in 2029 near the NFL's Buccaneers. 

They returned to the Trop to win 55 games in the regular season. Only Milwaukee had that many home wins this year.

After sweeping the Yankees in the Division Series, the Rays fell behind the Guardians 0-1 and 1-2 in this series before taking three straight games.