ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays open the American League Championship Series on Monday night with their ace on the mound, a fully rested bullpen and a home crowd that has already shown it can rattle opponents. The Cleveland Guardians arrive riding the momentum of a three-game winning streak, but with a pitching staff stretched thin by a five-game Division Series.

First pitch for Game 1 is scheduled for 8 p.m. EDT at Tropicana Field. The game will air on TBS and truTV, with streaming on HBO Max.

The best-of-seven series matches the top two seeds in the American League. The Rays, who won the AL East at 98-64, are 57-26 on their home field, including the postseason.

Rasmussen gets the ball again

Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash is turning to right-hander Drew Rasmussen, who is coming off one of the best postseason starts in franchise history.

Rasmussen finished the regular season 16-5 with a 2.67 ERA and made the All-Star team for the second straight season. He then opened the Division Series with an eight-inning, one-hit, 10-strikeout performance against the New York Yankees, carrying a no-hit bid deep into the game in a 1-0 victory.

That win came in a raucous Tropicana Field that hosted its first playoff game since Hurricane Milton tore off its roof two years ago, and it snapped a Rays streak of seven straight postseason losses.

"Yes, tonight was special," Rasmussen said after that outing.

Rasmussen also has a strong track record against Cleveland. In a July 26........

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