- Oct 16, 2026
- 0
- 0
SportsMafia Wire graphic. Photo: Vmartin12 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Team logos via ESPN.
The Tampa Bay Rays moved one win from the World Series with a 3-1 victory over the Cleveland Guardians, taking a 3-2 lead in the ALCS.
Two former Baltimore Orioles preserved the win in the late innings. Tyler Wells entered with two outs and a runner aboard in the eighth, striking out José Ramírez to extinguish the threat. Bryan Baker then worked around a leadoff walk in the ninth to secure his 34th consecutive save, a streak that began in mid-May.
Baker, whom the Rays acquired from the Orioles in July 2025, has suffered only two defeats in the 2026 season, both at the hands of the Orioles. Cedric Mullins and Jorge Mateo, also ex-Orioles, appeared in the contest for Tampa Bay.
Should the Rays advance, their former Orioles quartet could join additional ex-Baltimore players in the World Series, including Brewers pitchers DL Hall, Joey Ortiz and Gary Sánchez.
The date also carries historical weight for the Orioles franchise. On Oct. 19, 1959, Baltimore acquired Jim Gentile in exchange for Willy Miranda. Gentile became a three-time All-Star, tied Roger Maris for the AL lead with 141 RBI, and finished third in MVP voting that season. Miranda never appeared in another MLB game.
Written by the SportsMafia Wire desk in our own words from the original reporting (AI-assisted, checked against the source).