The Rays will face Milwaukee in a World Series that will crown a first-time champion

The Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Cleveland Guardians 7–3 on Monday and advanced to the Major League Baseball World Series, where they will compete for their first title against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Two home runs by Dominican Junior Caminero and Cuban Yandy Díaz, along with a pitching gem by Freddy Peralta sealed the victory that allowed Tampa to close out the American League Championship Series with a 4-2 series win.

The World Series, which kicks off on Friday, will crown a new champion, as the Rays and Brewers are two of the five teams that have never won the title.

The Florida franchise was defeated in its two previous World Series appearances, in 2008 and 2020, while Milwaukee had its only chance in the 1982 Fall Classic.

Despite this modest track record, both teams have dominated the season with an iron fist. The Brewers led the National League with the best overall record, 103 wins and 59 losses, and dethroned the Los Angeles Dodgers in the League Championship Series with a stunning 4-0 sweep.

The Rays also entered the American League playoffs as the top seed (98-64), swept the New York Yankees, and came back against Cleveland in a series in which they trailed twice.

The World Series will be even more special for Freddy Peralta, named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the American League Championship Series.

The Dominican, who allowed only one run in two winning starts, played eight seasons for the Brewers until he was traded in January to the Mets, from whom he was acquired by Tampa in August.

"God is the only one who brought me here," said the pitcher. "I'm very happy to be here and to be part of this team and this organization."

"Milwaukee is a team and a city that gave me the opportunity to fulfill my dream. It will always be in my heart, but now is the time to compete," Peralta emphasized.

"I'm so happy for this team, for this city. It's incredible—I want to cry right now," said an emotional Junior Caminero, who at 23 has emerged as one of baseball's rising stars.

MVP Peralta

In front of their home crowd at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, the Rays secured their third straight victory against the Guardians, whose offense went from strong to weak as the series progressed.

While they were shut down on Sunday by starter Drew Rasmussen, this time Cleveland's sluggers could only manage one run off star pitcher Freddy Peralta over 5.1 innings.

By then, the home team had already built an early 3-0 lead against Cleveland's bullpen.

American Richie Palacios, one of the hottest hitters in this series, led the way with a double in the second inning that drove in runs for Chandler Simpson and Cuban Victor Mesa Jr..

In the same inning, the home team loaded the bases, but Jonathan Aranda came up empty with a flyout to left field.

The Tijuana native, hitless in four at-bats, has been very off his game in this series, with only one standout performance in Game 4.

The third inning saw another bases-loaded situation for the Rays, which Jonny DeLuca was able to capitalize on with a sacrifice fly that brought in Caminero.

Caribbean home runs

The Guardians got on the board after a single by Nathaniel Lowe off Peralta in the sixth inning.

Tampa then ended the night for the Dominican pitcher, who had won all three of his starts in these playoffs.

With Peralta out of the game, a monster home run by his compatriot Caminero sparked a celebration among the 25,000 fans at Tropicana Field, including the Cuban-Mexican Randy Arozarena, the hero of the Rays who lost the 2020 World Series to the Dodgers.

In the seventh inning, Caminero hit a monumental two-run home run, giving the home team a 5-1 lead before they weathered one final moment of drama.

A nervous breakdown in the eighth inning by reliever Ian Seymour allowed Cleveland to score two runs. One of those runs was gifted when he hit Dominican Angel Martinez in the left thigh with a pitch.

With the bases loaded for Cleveland, Kevin Kelly relieved Seymour and put out the fire by striking out the Venezuelan Brayan Rocchio.

The visitors were hoping for another chance in the final inning, but the Cuban Yandy Díaz dashed all their hopes with a decisive two-run home run.