Cleveland Guardians at Tampa Bay Rays: Final Score & Recap
Line Score
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLE | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| TB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 1 | 6 | 0 |
The Story
The Tampa Bay Rays shut out the Cleveland Guardians 1-0 on July 26, 2026, at Tropicana Field, with a single run in the fifth inning proving to be all the offense either side would need. The DiamondIQ model entered the game favoring Tampa Bay at 62% and finished at 100% as Cleveland managed just one hit across nine innings.
The decisive moment came in the bottom of the fifth when Cedric Mullins singled off Parker Messick, a play that added 6.5% to Tampa Bay's win probability and set the table for what would become the game's only run. Cleveland's best chance to respond came and went quietly, with the ninth inning proving particularly damaging to the Guardians' prospects. Steven Kwan grounded out against Bryan Baker, costing Cleveland 7.1% in win probability, and Brayan Rocchio's strikeout against Baker moments later shed another 6.8%. Junior Caminero's groundout in the bottom of the eighth added 6.9% for Tampa Bay, a swing that reflected how effectively the Rays protected their slim lead as Cleveland threatened.
On the mound, Drew Rasmussen was the evening's most impactful performer, contributing 31.8% in cumulative win probability added, with Parker Messick and Bryan Baker adding 27.6% and 15.2% respectively to close it out. Among Tampa Bay's position players, Chase DeLauter led with 6.5% WPA alongside a 0.1 RE24 mark, while Chandler Simpson contributed 5.6% WPA and a team-best 0.5 RE24. The model's lean throughout the night reflected the Rays' command of the game from first pitch to last.