Rays jump to early 3-0 lead over Guardians in ALCS Game 5

The Tampa Bay Rays carried their momentum into the pivotal Game 5 of the American League Championship Series on Sunday, building a 3-0 lead over the Cleveland Guardians in the early innings at Progressive Field.

The series was tied 2-2 entering the night, making Game 5 the swing game in the best-of-seven matchup. The winner takes a 3-2 series lead and moves within one victory of a trip to the World Series.

According to MLB’s live game feed, Tampa Bay broke through in the top of the second inning when Jonathan Aranda lined an RBI single to give the Rays the first run of the night. Aranda’s quick impact followed his strong showing in Game 4, when he had three hits and two RBIs as Tampa Bay evened the series.

The Rays added on in the top of the third, with Liam Hicks delivering an RBI single. MLB’s live feed showed Tampa Bay in front 3-0 in the early innings as its offense continued the sharper form it showed a night earlier.

Sunday’s game began at about 5:08 p.m. ET and was carried nationally on TBS and truTV, with streaming on HBO Max. Tampa Bay started right-hander Drew Rasmussen, while Cleveland countered with Parker Messick. MLB’s live feed also logged an early defensive highlight for the Rays: Chandler Simpson’s running catch in foul territory.

The fast start came one day after Tampa Bay’s 7-3 win in Game 4 on Saturday night, when the Rays revived their offense to pull the ALCS back even heading into the deciding stretch of the series.