Freddy Peralta Wins ALCS MVP, the Rays Clinch the Pennant, and Drew Rasmussen Lines Up Against Jacob Misiorowski in World Series Game 1

The Tampa Bay Rays are going to the World Series. Freddy Peralta allowed one run over 5 1/3 innings, Junior Caminero and Yandy Díaz each hit two-run homers, and the Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians 7-3 in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series on Monday night at Tropicana Field to win the series 4-2. Peralta, who won twice in the series, was named ALCS MVP.

Tampa Bay now meets the Milwaukee Brewers, who swept the Dodgers in the NLCS and have been off since. Game 1 is Friday, Oct. 23, at American Family Field at 8 p.m. ET on FOX. Drew Rasmussen is the expected Rays starter on four days' rest, and Jacob Misiorowski is expected to start for Milwaukee. It is the Brewers' first World Series since 1982 and the third pennant in Rays history, and neither franchise has won a title.

How the Rays closed out Cleveland

The clincher followed the same script Tampa Bay used to win the last three games of the series: score early, get length from the starter, and let the bullpen finish. Richie Palacios put the Rays ahead 2-0 with a two-run double in the second inning against a Cleveland bullpen game. Caminero added a two-run homer, and Díaz put the game away with a two-run shot in the bottom of the eighth. Closer Bryan Baker needed nine pitches for a 1-2-3 ninth.

The Rays trailed 1-0 and 2-1 in this series and won three straight to finish it. Cleveland's problem was structural by the end: back-to-back days, no off day after a rain postponement, and manager Stephen Vogt unwilling to bring Gavin Williams back on short rest. The Guardians had to cover Game 6 with Shawn Armstrong and a relay of relievers, and Tampa Bay's lineup saw enough fresh arms to punish the weak links.

World Series schedule

The series uses the 2-3-2 format, and Milwaukee holds home field after posting the best regular-season record in baseball.

All games are scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on FOX. The Sunday off day between Games 2 and 3 and the Thursday off day between Games 5 and 6 matter a great deal for both rotations, because they let each club run its top two starters back on regular rest.

Rotations: Rasmussen and Peralta against a rested Milwaukee staff

Neither club has formally announced its full rotation, but the reporting points to a clear order. MLB.com lists Rasmussen as the likely Game 1 starter, which would make it his third straight series opener after starting Game 1 of both the ALDS and ALCS. He has been the best pitcher in the American League's second half: MLB.com credits him with an 11-0 record and a 1.73 ERA in 15 starts since the All-Star break, and Tampa Bay has won 14 of his last 15 starts. Peralta is expected to follow in Game 2 on normal rest. Nick Martinez, who won Game 4 of the ALCS, is the logical Game 3 option, with Griffin Jax or Ian Seymour as the fourth piece, though that part of the plan is the desk's read rather than an announced order.

Milwaukee's order is equally clear at the top. Misiorowski has started Game 1 of both the NLDS and NLCS and is expected to open this series, with Logan Henderson in line for Game 2. Robert Gasser is the most-cited choice for Game 3, and Dustin May is a candidate to cover Game 4 or work in relief. Manager Pat Murphy has said the club has to be mindful of Misiorowski's workload, because the 24-year-old is well past any previous professional innings total.

The rest gap cuts both ways. Milwaukee has had a full week to reset, which is a real advantage for a staff that leaned hard on its relievers against the Dodgers. Long layoffs can also dull an offense's timing against high-velocity pitching, and the Rays arrive in rhythm after playing three games in three days.

Bullpens decide this series

Both teams got to the Fall Classic on the strength of their relief corps. Milwaukee's bullpen has helped the Brewers come from behind in six of their seven postseason wins, and Murphy used it aggressively against Los Angeles. Trevor Megill closes and Abner Uribe is one of the best setup men in the sport, with a sub-2.00 ERA across the last two seasons. The week off means every one of those arms should be available in Game 1.

Tampa Bay's late innings have been just as stable. Baker saved each of the Rays' first four wins this postseason without allowing a hit in that stretch, and Seymour has been an effective bridge in the middle innings. Tyler Wells has also handled high-leverage outs, including striking out José Ramírez in the ninth of Game 5. The Rays used their relievers sparingly over Games 4 through 6 because Rasmussen and Peralta went deep, so Kevin Cash is not entering this series with a tired bullpen.

Fantasy and betting angle

The series price has Milwaukee favored. DraftKings opened the series with the Brewers at -155 and the Rays at +135, and set the Brewers around -160 for Game 1 behind Misiorowski with Tampa Bay a +132 underdog. FanDuel had Milwaukee at -170 in its title market before the ALCS ended. Those prices reflect home field, a rested pitching staff and the way Milwaukee dismantled the defending champions.

The desk's lean is that the market is giving the Rays slightly too little credit. Tampa Bay's top two starters line up for four of a possible seven games on regular rest, its closer has been nearly untouchable, and its offense has been producing from the top of the order with Díaz and Caminero. Milwaukee is the better team over 162 games, but a short series that turns on two starters and two bullpens is close to a coin flip with a modest home edge. For the model view, see Verdexed's predictions page at /mlb/predictions.

For DFS showdown and single-game contests, Game 1 projects as a low-scoring pitchers' duel. Rasmussen and Misiorowski are both strong captain candidates, and the relievers behind them are elite enough that stacking either lineup is a contrarian play. Díaz is the Rays bat to prioritize at leadoff, while Milwaukee's run-scoring has come in late bursts against bullpens, which favors Brewers hitters who bat third through fifth. Totals bettors should note that both teams' paths through October have featured short starts from the opposition and long, effective relief from their own staffs.

What's next

Both clubs should finalize their rotations and 26-man rosters before Friday. The key items to watch are whether Cash commits to Martinez for Game 3 or goes with a bullpen-heavy plan at Tropicana Field, whether Murphy names Gasser or May for Game 3, and how Milwaukee manages Misiorowski's innings across a possible Game 5 start on short turnaround. Verdexed will preview Game 1 with confirmed lineups once both teams announce them.