The Tampa Bay Rays are one win from their first World Series since 2020 after beating the Cleveland Guardians 3-1 in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series on Sunday, taking a 3-2 series lead with the Guardians now facing elimination in Monday night's Game 6 at Tropicana Field.

Right-hander Drew Rasmussen was nearly untouchable, allowing just one run over seven innings. He gave up a two-out single in the first inning, then retired nine straight Cleveland batters before the Guardians finally scratched across their lone run in the sixth. Tampa Bay built its lead methodically, scoring in the first, second and third innings, and closer Bryan Baker shut the door in the ninth to seal it.

Win-or-go-home in St. Petersburg

Game 6 is set for Monday night at Tropicana Field, broadcast on TBS, with the Guardians needing to win both Game 6 and a potential Game 7 just to force a winner-take-all finale — a tall order against a Rays team that has now won two of the last three meetings between these clubs. ESPN's recap noted the win capped a wild weekend stretch for Tampa Bay, which has leaned on dominant starting pitching to survive a grinding series.

THE GUARDIANS NEED TO WIN TWICE IN A ROW JUST TO FORCE A GAME 7

Whichever team emerges from the ALCS will face the Milwaukee Brewers in the World Series, which opens Friday, October 23. Because Milwaukee finished with the best regular-season record in all of baseball, the Brewers will hold home-field advantage throughout the series regardless of which American League club advances.

For Rays fans, Monday's game carries the weight of a pennant on the line in front of a home crowd; for the Guardians, it's simply survive or go home. Either way, the winner gets only a few days to regroup before facing a Brewers team that has been waiting since mid-October for an opponent.