ALCS Game 4 Open Thread, 8 ET
Where the Guardians, surprisingly, are up 3-1 on the Rays.
St. Petersburg, FL – On October 13, 2026, the American League Championship Series (ALCS) Game 4 between the Cleveland Guardians and the Tampa Bay Rays promises to be a crucial game in the series. As of now, the Guardians are leading the series 2-1, with the Rays needing a win to send the series back to a best-of-three format. The weather conditions are expected to be unfavorable, with rain and intermittent showers likely to hinder gameplay.
The Rays have been struggling at the plate, going 1-for-12 in Game 3, while the Guardians' José Ramírez and Chase DeLauter have been on fire, each with OPS’ing over 1.400 this postseason. Cleveland's lineup remains unchanged from Game 3, consisting of José Ramírez, Chase DeLauter, Petey Halpin, and others. The Rays, on the other hand, have made lineup adjustments, with Chandler Simpson now batting third and Junior Caminero hitting fourth.
Tampa Bay's starter Nick Martinez had an impressive regular season, going 15-6 with a 3.10 ERA in 180 innings. However, Martinez's history against Cleveland is concerning, with two starts in the regular season, only 13 innings pitched, and zero runs given up. The Rays' confidence in Martinez's ability to keep the Guardians in check will be tested tonight.
Cleveland's starting pitcher is Shawn Armstrong, who has posted a 5.34 ERA in three seasons with the Baltimore bullpen. With the Guardians relying heavily on their bullpen, it remains to be seen if Armstrong can provide the necessary stability. Whether the Rays can capitalize on the weather conditions and the Rays' struggling offensive performance, or if the Guardians can maintain their current momentum, the outcome of this pivotal ALCS Game 4 will undoubtedly impact the World Series narrative.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
