You remember the big guy, right? The one with the bulging arms? He had been a shadow of himself in the playoffs.
Well, welcome back, Yandy Diaz. He had a clinching two-run homer in the Rays' 7-3 victory to tie their best-of-seven series at two games each.
And you remember the guy with the wooly hair? A search party couldn't have found him in this series.
Well, hello there, Jonathan Aranda. He had three hits and drove in two.
And how about the Junior Caminero, the guy with the explosive bat. He had only one hit Saturday night, but it was a sixth-inning double that drove in the Rays' go-ahead run.
In other words, the top of the Rays' lineup has finally showed up in the AL Championship series. It's now down to the best-of-three series, and two of the game would be at Tropicana Field.
The Rays snapped a 1-1 tie in the sixth when Caminero drove in Aranda.
In the seventh, the Rays scored three more times. Two of the runs came in a single by Aranda (and an error). Chandler Simpson followed with a sacrifice fly.
Still, Cleveland came back with two. But Diaz iced the game with his home run that barely reached the right field fence.
Aranda and Richie Palacios each had three hits for the Rays.
Nick Martinez picked up the win for the Rays. He went five and a third innings and allowed just two hits.
The teams play again at 5 p.m. at Cleveland's Progressive Field. Neither team hs announced a starting pitcher.
