Rays top Guardians in 11 to tighten WC race

CLEVELAND (AP) — Harold Ramírez’s two-run double with two outs in the 11th inning gave Tampa Bay a 6-5 win over Cleveland on Tuesday night, helping the Rays tighten the AL wild-card race and ending the Guardians’ seven-game winning streak.

The Rays closed within 1 1/2 games of Toronto for the wild-card lead.

Ramírez, who played 99 games for Cleveland last season before being released, pulled a 1-2 pitch from Trevor Stephan (6-5) down the left-field line for his second double of the game to score Taylor Walls and Wander Franco.

The clutch hit — Tampa Bay’s first since the fourth inning — allowed the Rays to open a nine-game road trip with a win over the AL Central champion Guardians.

From here out, every game is big for Tampa Bay.

Javy Guerra (2-0) pitched one inning for the win, and Calvin Faucher, Tampa Bay’s ninth pitcher, worked the 11th for his first career save.

Jose Siri hit a two-run homer for Tampa Bay, which scored four times in the fourth off Guardians starter Shane Bieber.

Rays starter Corey Kluber lasted just four innings in his third career start against the Guardians, his team from 2011-2019. It was the right-hander’s first start as a visitor in Cleveland, where he won two Cy Youngs.

While they’re focused on a snagging one of the three wild-card spots, the Rays are also keeping an eye on Hurricane Ian as it bears down on Florida.

Before the opener, Tampa’s players and coaches monitored things back home.

“Watching the news, watching the computer,” said manager Kevin Cash.

The Guardians clinched their division title on Sunday in Texas, but a pregame threat of rain forced the team to postpone a flag-raising ceremony to celebrate its unexpected title until Saturday.

It’s nothing new for the Guardians, who have