It was an absolute brawl of a series<\/a> between Cleveland and Tampa Bay, and the Rays came alive in Game 5, ultimately riding that momentum back home to beat the Guardians in Game 6 at Tropicana Field.<\/p>\n The Guardians were in this game through its entirety, even when it felt like they weren\u2019t. At one point, Cleveland had a bit of a rally going on in the eighth inning, but it was too late to climb back into the game.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what went wrong for the Guardians in their season finale against the Rays:<\/p>\n Bullpen game was not a good idea by Stephen Vogt Oct 19, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Cleveland Guardians pitcher Tim Herrin (29) pitches during the second inning against the Tampa Bay Rays in game six of the ALCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Pablo Robles-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n Prior to this clash in Game 6, Vogt shut down the idea of pitching Gavin Williams on short rest and insisted they had a plan in place for their approach. <\/p>\n Ultimately, the plan was to start veteran relief pitcher Shawn Armstrong<\/a> and work their bullpen in its entirety.<\/p>\n That was not a good plan for the Guardians, as Armstrong would only pitch one inning, giving up one run and one hit. It was a strange decision to go with Armstrong if they knew they would pull him early. Why not start a fresh pitcher like Tanner Bibee?<\/p>\n The Guardians put in eight different pitchers throughout this game, all of whom have been used significantly in every game to this point. It\u2019s clear their bullpen has run out of gas.<\/p>\n Their pitchers gave up seven hits and seven runs overall, while walking six batters and only striking out three total.<\/p>\n Cleveland\u2019s offense wasn\u2019t efficient enough\u00a0 Oct 19, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Cleveland Guardians shortstop Brayan Rocchio (4) hits a double against the Tampa Bay Rays in game six of the ALCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n The Guardians had the same number of hits as the Rays did with seven, but they couldn\u2019t score any runners when they were on base. <\/p>\n That was the biggest difference-maker in this game.<\/p>\n Once again, the top of the order did all of the work for Cleveland and didn\u2019t get much out of the rest of their batters. With a roster full of young potential star players<\/a> as well as some veteran players, this team just doesn\u2019t have the firepower needed to contend the rest of the way.<\/p>\n Credit is due to Tampa Bay\u2019s pitching staff, as they had this Guardians lineup swinging at some tough pitching throughout the entire series. A balance of solid defense, clutch hitting, and dangerous pitching makes them a legitimate championship-contending team.<\/p>\n There\u2019s no doubt the Guardians can get back to this point in the next season or two, but they\u2019ll need to continue building this team up as best they can to make that happen.<\/p>\n This team has a bright future, and it\u2019s only a matter of time before they get their chance at a World Series title again.<\/p>\n![\"Cleveland](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01m5bmyec2j23dag5m9d.jpg\" "\\"Cleveland")
<\/p>\n![\"Cleveland](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01m5bn0ama0dm18dzjme.jpg\" "\\"Cleveland")
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