Cleveland at Tampa Bay

Sunday's Game 5 finished Rays 3, Guardians 1, and the score undersold how often Tampa Bay reached base. The Rays had 12 hits to Cleveland's five and left seven runners on through the first four innings. Parker Messick lasted two innings and allowed five hits and two earned runs, and Tim Herrin gave up the third Tampa Bay run in the third inning. Game 1 went the other way, 7-3 Cleveland, after Patrick Bailey's home run tied it against Drew Rasmussen. The Guardians hit 162 home runs this season, and the Rays hit 169, so either lineup can score in one swing. Tampa Bay scored 736 runs in the regular season to Cleveland's 678, and its .402 slugging percentage was higher than Cleveland's .380. A Cleveland loss ends its season, and I expect it to hand the ball to relievers early and often. That is a long run of different arms facing a lineup that put runners on constantly in Game 5. Take the OVER tonight.