ST PETERSBURG, Fla. – It’s win or go home! The Cleveland Guardians are in familiar territory with their backs against the wall against the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 6 of the ALCS today – Monday, Oct. 19 – at Tropicana Field.
Check out details on how to watch this Guardians vs. Rays ALCS game on TV and streaming services:
What: MLB ALCS Game 6: Cleveland Guardians vs. Tampa Bay RaysWhen: Monday, Oct. 19, 2026Time: 8:10 p.m. EasternChannel: TBS, truTV, HBO Max and Univision (Spanish)Where: Tropicana Field | St. Petersburg, Fla. Streaming options: DIRECTV (free trial and $35 off your first month) and SlingTV How do I watch Guardians vs. Rays ALCS game for free today?
This Guardians vs. Rays ALCS game will broadcast live on TBS, truTV, HBO Max and Univision (Spanish) at 8:10 p.m. Eastern.
Baseball fans who have parted ways with their local cable provider can watch at no cost by grabbing a free trial from DIRECTV, which also offers $35 off your first month.
Fans can also watch this game on SlingTV with the Sling Orange for just $45.99 per month. Sling Orange includes TBS, TNT and ESPN, among other channels.
Cleveland Guardians
The Guardians lost their second game in a row, falling to the Rays 3-1 as the offense floundered in a pivotal Game 5 at Progressive Field on Oct. 18.
Cleveland managed just five hits. Rookie Chase DeLauter had the lone run, a sacrifice groundout that scored Steven Kwan in the bottom of the sixth.
After scoring 10 runs in the first three ALCS games, Cleveland’s bats have gone cold, squeezing out just four runs in the last two losses.
Parker Messick, who is a strong candidate for AL Rookie of the Year, was pushed to nearly 60 pitches in just two innings of Game 5. He allowed two earned runs on five hits while walking two and striking out three.
Messick looked gassed as back-to-back AL Manager of the Year Stephen Vogt was forced to pivot into another bullpen game with Tim Herrin, Shawn Armstrong, Erik Sabrowski, Hunter Gaddis and closer Cade Smith eating up a combined seven innings. Vogt used six pitchers total on the evening.
The Guardians will face their fourth elimination game of the postseason. They came back from an 0-2 series against the Chicago White Sox in the ALDS. Can they defy the odds once again?
Guardians players to watch
Chase DeLauter
DeLauter has six hits in his last five games, including one home run, two doubles and four RBI.
Jo Adell
Adell has two hits in his last five games, including a double and two RBI. He has also struck out six times in that span.
Jose Ramirez
Ramirez has seven hits in his last five games, including one RBI. He preserved his three-year postseason on-base streak, which sits at 17 straight games.
Watch Guardians vs. Rays Game 6 for free on DIRECTV
Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays continued their hot at-bats, compiling 12 hits. They have 23 hits in their last two games. Cleveland has totaled 13 in that span.
Tampa Bay has taken control of momentum with a chance to punch their first ticket to the World Series since the shortened COVID season of 2020. The Rays have never won the Fall Classic, but that isn’t stopping them from calling their shot to secure their spot.
“It’s a great opportunity,” Rays leadoff hitter Yandy Diaz told the media after Game 5. “All of us are thinking of it. It all ends tomorrow. We are going to win tomorrow.”
While his counterpart was chased early, Rays’ starting pitcher Drew Rasmussen was lights out in Game 5. He went seven innings, allowing one earned run off four hits while walking one and striking out six.
Lost in Tampa Bay’s surging bats is a pristine defensive performance over the last two games. While Cleveland has looked shaky in the fall pressure cooker, including two costly errors in Game 4.
The Rays were 55-26 at Tropicana Field this season, the best mark in the American League.
The winner of the series will travel to face the National League champion Milwaukee Brewers in Game 1 of the World Series on Oct. 23. at 8 p.m. Eastern on FOX.
Rays players to watch
Junior Caminero
Caminero has four hits in his last five games, including two doubles and two RBI.
Jonathan Aranda
Aranda has torched Guardians pitching for five hits, three RBI and two runs in his last two games.
Yandy Diaz
Diaz has six hits in his last three games, including three doubles, one home run, two RBI and four runs.
Today’s pitching matchup
CLE Shawn Armstrong (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. TB Freddy Peralta (1-0, 0.79)
Vogt is rolling the dice in attempting to save ace Gavin Williams for a potential winner-take-all Game 7 on Oct. 20. Cleveland will roll out Shawn Armstrong for his second start in three days. Armstrong threw 13 pitches over one and one-third innings in Game 5. He allowed one hit.
Facing elimination, the Guardians figure to have nearly the entire bullpen available, including Herrin, Sabrowski, Gaddis and Smith. But keep an eye on Joey Cantillo, Slade Cecconi and starter Tanner Bibee, who has yet to pitch this postseason.
Peralta saw just nine pitches in high leverage relief in Game 4. He also pitched a gem in Game 2, going six innings of shutout baseball while allowing four hits, two walks and striking out six. He has tallied nine strikeouts in three appearances this postseason.
Rays’ manager Kevin Cash needed just three relievers after Rasmussen’s strong outing. Cam Booser, Tyler Wells and closer Bryan Baker closed out the contest. Baker has capped all six of Tampa Bay’s wins this postseason. With a World Series spot on the line, expect an all-hands-on-deck approach to Game 6.
Who is announcing Guardians vs. Rays Game 6?
Brian Anderson (play-by-play), Ron Darling (analyst) and Jeff Francoeur (analyst) will be the announcers while Lauren Shehadi will report from the field.
What are the latest odds for Guardians vs. Rays Game 6?
Spread: CLE: (+1.5), TB: (-1.5)
Moneyline: CLE: (+116), TB: (-140)
Run Line: 6.5