Junior Caminero and the Tampa Bay Rays will face José Ramírez and the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Championship Series. Tampa Bay finished the 2026 MLB regular season with the best record in the league (98-64), while Cleveland (85-77) won the AL Central.
Cleveland just finished an extended series against the Chicago White Sox, while Tampa Bay just swept the division-rival New York Yankees and was able to have an extended break for its pitching rotation.
Guardians vs Rays TV Channel and Live Stream Options
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- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Venue: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg
- TV: TBS/truTV
- Live stream: YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV
Fans can watch Game 1 of the ALCS for free with DirecTV, provided they are not already subscribed to DIRECTV. Users can sign up for a subscription and cancel within five days of signing up.
Tampa Bay was led by third baseman Junior Caminero throughout the 2026 MLB regular season, with the 23-year-old MVP candidate hitting .276 and finishing fourth in MLB with 42 home runs and eighth with 101 RBIs.
Cleveland has an elite rotation, led by left-handed pitcher Parker Messick, who ended the season sixth in the league with a 2.56 ERA and eighth with a 1.06 WHIP. Right-handed pitcher Gavin Williams led the Guardians with a 14-8 record and 248 strikeouts. Star third baseman José Ramírez has been strong at the plate so far in the 2026 playoffs, leading the team with two home runs and seven RBIs.
The winner of this best-of-seven series will go on to face the winner of the Milwaukee Brewers vs. Los Angeles Dodgers series for a chance to win the World Series.
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