CLEVELAND, OH — The Tampa Bay Rays pushed the Cleveland Guardians back to an even sea level Saturday night on a massive 7-3 road victory in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series to even up their best of seven ALCS at two apiece. 

A best of three series now for the AL pennant and trip to the World Series on the line, with Game 5 scheduled for Sunday at 5pm ET in Cleveland, followed by Game 6 Monday at The Trop and a winner-take-all Game 7, if necessary, Tuesday down in St. Petersburg, Florida. 

RAYS TAKE GAME 4 IN CLEVELAND TO TIE UP THE ALCS AT 2-2 🔥 pic.twitter.com/rVoqkeqy3L

— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) October 18, 2026

With no alternative but to fight right back after taking a punch Thursday from the Guardians in ALCS Game 3, Tampa Bay not only did just that, but did so on big time performances from their plethora of Latinos. 

When the Rays needed it most, being down 2-1 in enemy territory and in front of a sellout 33,355 crowd Saturday evening at Progressive Field.

First, it was Tampa Bay’s Victor Mesa Jr., proving Cleveland’s Chase DeLauter wrong in challenging him just as the game began in the bottom of the first, with the 25-year-old Cuban right fielder gunning the Guardians number three hitter down on an attempt to advance to second on a RBI single. 

Chase DeLauter wins the 9-pitch battle and gets the Guardians on the board immediately 😮 pic.twitter.com/EX4dsaVYnI

— MLB (@MLB) October 18, 2026

A big time play that resulted in two out, no one on, a 1-0 ballgame, and Rays right-handed starter Nick Martinez settling in from there. 

“That was absolutely huge,” said Martinez, as DeLauter was the only Guardian to do damage on the 36-year-old Cuban-American in his ALCS Game 4 outing—5.1 innings of one run ball with two hits, two walks and three strikeouts. 

“José (Ramírez, popping out for the first out in the first with lead off hitter Steven Kwan getting on via a single prior) is a nightmare of an at-bat. Guy comes through countless times in his career for this team. It’s a team that they’re always fighting. There’s a lot of stressful pitches going on. For Victor to get me a second out, it definitely helped get me into the groove.”

From Mesa’s perspective: “I saw the ball fly off the bat and knew that I had no chance at home because of the weather and everything. The grass was pushing the ball harder too so once I saw him turn to second, I was like I just have to get a good throw on for (shortstop Taylor) Walls. Thank God it helped Nick and the team.” 

Nick Martinez, Dirty 78mph Changeup. 😨 pic.twitter.com/Qa184sKEe5

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) October 18, 2026

Rays manager Kevin Cash, also highlighting Mesa’s strike to second during Saturday’s postgame when asked, claimed that it played a “huge” benefit to Martinez. 

On the other side of the diamond, as many would describe Cuban Yandy Díaz (35), Mexican Jonathan Aranda (28) and Dominican Junior Caminero (23) as Tampa’s Big Three in the batter’s box, it was—“Los Tres Pequeños, The Three Little Ones”—as Cash jokingly calls the trio, who each stepped up. 

“It’s kind of a dig at them and protecting the rest of the lineup. So when they don’t hit on a given night, I’m like, ‘Yeah, I got my three Pequeño’s hitting.’ Yandy, Cammy and Aranda, they’ve all heard it.”

-Rays manager Kevin Cash

ALCS Game 4 from Los Tres Pequeños

1. Yandy Díaz: 2-for-5 with a double, home run, two RBI & two runs scored

2. Jonathan Aranda: 3-for-4 with two RBI, two runs scored and one walk—his first career multi-RBI postseason game

3. Junior Caminero: 1-for-5, with a RBI double in the sixth inning giving Tampa Bay a 2-1 lead

JONATHAN ARANDA 😮

Another two runs come home for the Rays! pic.twitter.com/8vFafvvXzP

— MLB (@MLB) October 18, 2026

Five RBI on six hits combined from The Three Little Ones. 

“It felt good to see everybody click, and it was just a matter of time, right?” Aranda said through interpreter Kevin Vera. “It was just a matter of time for us three to get going. It’s something that we can really use to push us forward here in these next couple games.”

Said Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt: “They’re two of the best hitters in the league. Have been. Caminero as well. That’s a tough three to get through.

We didn’t execute against them tonight, like we talked about pregame. The first three games felt like we executed really well against those guys, and we just didn’t tonight. And they made us pay.” 

YANDY DÍAZ BREAKS THIS GAME OPEN 🤯

It's a 2-run shot that just gets over the wall 😮 pic.twitter.com/82aJnxo9Al

— MLB (@MLB) October 18, 2026

One who knew the 23-year-old superstar Caminero would come through despite a rough start to this ALCS (2-12 with 1 RBI, a walk and 7 strikeouts combined in Games 1-3) was Rays bench coach Rodney Linares. 

Not if, but when, according to the 49-year-old Brooklyn-born Dominican, who said during Rays ALCS Game 4 batting practice to Latino Sports: 

“Junior works as hard as anybody in the game. He wants to be to be great. He does not want to be good. I think sometimes we forget he’s 23, a couple years into the game and we count on him. So as far as we’re concerned, he’s putting in the work and hopefully it materializes out there on the field.” 

Adding Linares, a key part of Tampa’s coaching staff since 2019, playing a role in six postseason appearances: “The thing is that people don’t see behind the scenes. The kid works. He works every day. He played 162 games this year, and did not miss one. Not one day of ground balls pregame either.” 

JUNIOR CAMINERO 🔥

The Rays snatch the lead with a double down the line! pic.twitter.com/uMxntMIzly

— MLB (@MLB) October 18, 2026

On Linares’ confidence in Caminero, Cash said: “I agree with what Rodney said. Junior is great. And now it’s his turn to be great in the postseason. Today was a big step in the right direction for him. I wouldn’t be surprised now if he catches fire and does a lot for us.”

Furthermore, not missing a beat by staying ready and turning out great was Dominican RHP Freddy Peralta, making his first appearance out of the bullpen since Game 3 of the 2024 National League Wild Card Series vs. the Mets. 

The 30-year-old of Moca, Dominican Republic, knowing his workload would be on a much smaller scale headed out of the ‘pen being that Peralta pitched six scoreless innings in ALCS Game 2 last Tuesday, entered for a departing Martinez just when the Guardians turned over their lineup in the sixth inning with a runner on and one down. 

And despite a walk to the 2025 AL LatinoMVP JRam, which wasn’t the worst result all things considered against him, Peralta was vintage Peralta (9 pitches, 4 for strikes) with a boat load of adrenaline. 

Freddy Peralta answered the bell for the Rays Saturday night in ALCS Game 4 by pitching 0.2 innings in relief after RHP Nick Martinez departed in the sixth and the Guardians in midst of a potential rally – Image Credit: Major League Baseball

“I understood that I was going for like 10 to 15 pitches only, but wanted to for however long the team needed,” he said. 

“With my adrenaline, I tried to stay on the same level because I wasn’t going to have the opportunity to throw 90 or say 100 pitches.”

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