TAMPA (Interstat) — Freddy Peralta pitched into the sixth inning, Tampa Bay paired an early two-run double with late home runs, and the Rays beat the visiting Cleveland Guardians 7-3 on Monday in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series at George Steinbrenner Field. Tampa Bay won the best-of-seven series 4-2 and advanced to the World Series, where it will face Milwaukee. The Rays have won the series and will play for the franchise’s first championship. The Rays closed the series with consecutive victories. Attendance was 40,230, and the game took 2 hours, 55 minutes. Both teams finished with seven hits. Tampa Bay scored seven runs, and Cleveland scored three.

Cleveland put pressure on Peralta early but could not cash in. Steven Kwan singled with one out in the first inning, but José Ramírez flied out, Chase DeLauter flied out and Jo Adell popped out in foul territory. Tampa Bay went down in order in the bottom half when Yandy Díaz grounded out, Jonathan Aranda popped out and Liam Hicks popped out to the pitcher. The Rays broke through in the second. Junior Caminero singled to center, Chandler Simpson reached on a forceout, and Victor Mesa Jr. walked. Richie Palacios then doubled to right field, scoring Simpson and Mesa for a 2-0 lead. Taylor Walls walked, Díaz was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and Aranda flied out to end the inning. Palacios finished 2 for 4 with two RBIs.

Tampa Bay added another run in the third. Hicks singled to left, Caminero walked, and Simpson bunted for a single to load the bases. Mesa grounded into a forceout that cut down Hicks at home, but Jonny DeLuca followed with a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Caminero. Palacios grounded out to first to end the inning. Cleveland’s best early chance came in the fourth when Jo Adell doubled and Nathaniel Lowe walked. Travis Bazzana lined out to right, and Patrick Bailey grounded into a shortstop-to-first double play that ended the threat. Cleveland went down in order in the fifth aside from a two-out walk to Kwan.

Peralta protected the lead. He allowed one earned run on five hits over 5 1/3 innings, walked three and struck out three. He improved to 12-11 and had also beaten Cleveland earlier in the series. Cleveland starter Tim Herrin took the loss and fell to 3-5. The Guardians broke through in the sixth when DeLauter doubled to center and Lowe singled sharply to center to score DeLauter. Bazzana flied out and Bailey popped out to first to end the inning. In the bottom of the fourth, Walls walked and Aranda was hit by a pitch, but Hicks and Caminero flied out. Cleveland’s bullpen kept the Rays within reach. Daniel Espino threw 1 1/3 hitless innings with one strikeout, and Matt Festa retired one batter while issuing a walk. Erik Sabrowski allowed one hit in a scoreless inning and struck out one.

The Rays answered with the decisive swing in the seventh. After Hicks walked, Caminero hit a two-run homer to left field, extending Tampa Bay’s lead. Caminero’s homer came off the left-field foul pole and gave the home dugout a jolt. Caminero finished 2 for 3 with a home run and two RBIs. Simpson grounded out, Mesa flied out and DeLuca grounded out sharply to end the inning. Cam Booser followed with 1 2/3 hitless innings, and Kevin Kelly and Bryan Baker each contributed scoreless relief. Cleveland made one last push in the eighth. DeLauter singled after a challenge overturned a call at first, Lowe singled and Bazzana walked to load the bases. Bailey walked to force in DeLauter, and Angel Martinez was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score Lowe. Brayan Rocchio struck out swinging to end the inning.

Tampa Bay quickly restored order in the bottom of the eighth. Palacios flied out, Walls walked and Díaz hit a two-run homer to left field. Díaz finished 1 for 4 with a home run and two RBIs. Aranda struck out and Hicks grounded out to third. The blast put the Rays back in control and sent the game into the ninth with a four-run lead. Baker retired Kwan, Ramírez and DeLauter in order to close it out. Tampa Bay’s bullpen finished with scoreless work from Booser, Kelly and Baker. The loss ended Cleveland’s season at 90-83. Tampa Bay’s record is now 105-66.

The Rays will face Milwaukee in the World Series after the Brewers swept the Dodgers in the National League Championship Series. Either Tampa Bay or Milwaukee will win its first World Series title. Tampa Bay is headed to the World Series for the second time in franchise history and is seeking its first title. Tampa Bay’s pitchers combined for eight strikes, 46 balls and eight balls in play, while Cleveland’s pitchers combined for 19 strikes, 45 balls and 19 balls in play, according to the game data.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Cleveland Guardians 4, Tampa Bay Rays 8. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Tampa Bay with a 59.7 percent probability to win. Tampa Bay had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The total score of 10 went under the over/under line of 6.5.