The Cleveland Guardians have now won four consecutive postseason games to not just come back from the brink of elimination in the ALDS, but to take a 1-0 lead in the ALCS against the Tampa Bay Rays. This was a team effort through and through; after starting pitcher Foster Griffin allowed the Rays to score two runs in the first inning, the team locked in from thereon out — with the offense coming alive late to give the team a 7-3 victory on Monday night.

The Guardians were hanging tough in the playoff race in the middle of the season, and they went for it — trading for both Griffin, their Game 1 starter,Jo Adell, the man who hit the two-run double in the ninth to extend Cleveland's lead to four, which would prove to be insurmountable for the Rays, and Nathaniel Lowe, the man who gave them the lead in the eighth with a two-run single.

Guardians manager Stephen Vogt lauded the team for being prepared and for being resilient, and now, they have stolen homefield advantage in the ALCS.

“These guys come ready to play every day. I couldn't be more proud of them,” Vogt said in his postgame presser, via MLB Network on X.

"These guys come ready to play every day. I couldn't be more proud of them."@CleGuardians manager Stephen Vogt discusses the team's resiliency and the success from their Trade Deadline acquisitions tonight.

📺 MLB Network pic.twitter.com/F3CmD5few1

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) October 13, 2026

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Griffin lasted just 4.0 innings, leaving a Guardians bullpen that has taken on a ton of workload already this postseason to pick up the slack once more. They did their jobs; outside of a Cedric Mullins solo shot in the eighth inning, Cleveland's relievers held the Rays scoreless for eight innings — opening up the opportunity for Cleveland to take advantage when their bats came alive.

There's only one batter in the Guardians lineup with a wRC+ of 115, and that's Chase DeLauter (with a wRC+ of 131). They have been doing it by committee all season long, and after DeLauter set the tone with a solo shot in the sixth, Patrick Bailey tied the game with a long ball of his own.

Vogt will need more of a collective effort as they try to continue their hot streak in Game 2 of the ALCS.