Rays chase Messick early as Rasmussen puts Cleveland on brink of elimination

Cleveland needed innings from Parker Messick. Tampa Bay made him throw 57 pitches to get through two, then trusted Drew Rasmussen to carry a three-run lead deep into Game 5.

That difference shaped the Rays' 3-1 win over the Guardians on Sunday at Progressive Field. Tampa Bay leads the American League Championship Series 3-2 and returns home with a chance to clinch a World Series berth in Monday's Game 6.

The Rays scored once in each of the first three innings. None of those runs required a homer. Yandy Díaz doubled to begin the game and scored when Jonny DeLuca drew a bases-loaded walk with two outs. Jonathan Aranda singled home Ben Williamson in the second. Chandler Simpson doubled, stole third and scored on Liam Hicks's single in the third.

Tampa Bay left other chances unused, but the early traffic had already done damage. Messick allowed five hits and two runs before Cleveland went to its bullpen for the third inning. With no travel day before Game 6, that put more work on a relief staff that had also handled a bullpen game Saturday.

Rasmussen gave the Rays the opposite kind of night. He allowed four hits and one walk over seven innings, struck out six and threw 95 pitches. Cleveland did not score until the sixth, when consecutive singles by Steven Kwan and José Ramírez set up Chase DeLauter's RBI groundout.

Rasmussen then finished the seventh without another run. Nathaniel Lowe reached on a single, but Patrick Bailey's inning-ending double play brought the starter's night to a close with Tampa Bay still ahead 3-1.

The final six outs came from Cam Booser, Tyler Wells and Bryan Baker. Wells struck out Ramírez to end the eighth with a runner stranded. Baker protected the two-run advantage in the ninth, recording his fifth save of the postseason when Travis Bazzana grounded out.

Kwan's defense helped prevent the score from getting away from Cleveland. He threw Taylor Walls out at the plate in the fourth, cutting down a runner trying to score from second on Aranda's single. The Guardians could not match that prevention with enough offense, finishing with five hits.

The Rays have now won two straight games after falling behind 2-1 in the series. They need one win in two possible home games to advance; the Guardians need both. Monday's Game 6 is scheduled for 8 p.m. Eastern at Tropicana Field.

Milwaukee is already waiting in the World Series. Tampa Bay earned its position one run at a time Sunday, then made Cleveland spend the rest of the evening trying to find a way through Rasmussen and the bullpen.