Late meltdown by Rays at home leaves them with 7-3 loss to Guardians in Game 1 of ALCS

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — For six innings, the Tampa Bay Rays were in complete control again.

Then they unraveled in a hurry.

Drew Rasmussen squandered a two-run lead on the mound, Tampa Bay's bullpen let the game get away and the Rays stumbled to a 7-3 loss against the Cleveland Guardians in their American League Championship Series opener Monday night.

Staked to a 2-0 advantage, Rasmussen gave up a leadoff homer to rookie Chase DeLauter in the sixth but retired the next three batters.

With two relievers ready and the bottom of the Guardians order due up, manager Kevin Cash sent out Rasmussen for the seventh. His first pitch was launched 436 feet to center field by light-hitting catcher Patrick Bailey for a tying home run that chased the All-Star right-hander.

“Cashy checked in with me and I told him I was good,” said Rasmussen, who had permitted just one run over 27 2/3 innings until DeLauter went deep. “Unfortunately, it just didn’t unfold the way we wanted.”

Nothing went right for the Rays after that.

José Ramírez reached on an infield single to start the eighth and DeLauter drilled a double off losing pitcher Tyler Wells, putting runners at second and third. One out later, left-hander Ian Seymour entered to face left-handed hitter Nathaniel Lowe and allowed a two-run single on an 0-2 fastball as the Guardians grabbed a 4-2 lead.

It was the first deficit this postseason for the AL East champion Rays, who had four days off following a three-game sweep of the New York Yankees in their Division Series. In the opener of that matchup, Rasmussen carried a no-hitter for 7 2/3 innings on the way to a 1-0 victory.

This time, Tampa Bay fell apart late.

After a home run by Cedric Mullins trimmed the deficit to 4-3 in the bottom of the eighth, Cole Sulser yielded a leadoff single to slumping Angel Martínez in the ninth and balked him to second base. Two outs later, Ramírez's soft RBI single made it 5-3.

But the Guardians weren't done.

Ramírez advanced on a wild pitch by Sulser, who then walked DeLauter. Rays sinkerballer Kevin Kelly entered to face Jo Adell, and Ramírez took off from second on a 1-2 pitch.

Third baseman Junior Caminero left his position to cover the bag, and Adell’s hard-hit grounder through the spot vacated by Caminero turned into a two-run double that put Tampa Bay in a 7-3 hole.

“You know what? We were throwing behind,” Cash said. “We were going to throw to second base. DeLauter had gone the first time. I haven’t spoke to Cami about it. We were going to go to second base. I’m guessing Cami recognized that DeLauter didn’t take off and attempted to go to third base. Totally understand how it seemed like the perfect play for the Guardians."

It was a stunning meltdown at Tropicana Field for the Rays, who matched Milwaukee for the best home record in the majors during the regular season.

They hadn't lost a game started by Rasmussen since July 9, a string of 13 straight wins.

“I thought he was outstanding. I thought he threw an incredible ballgame,” Cash said. “You've got to give credit to Cleveland’s lineup. They really put some pitches on him and some longer at-bats early on. But I felt like after the third or fourth inning, he really settled in.”

After giving up a total of 12 hits to the Yankees in three games, Rays pitchers allowed 14 in Game 1 alone against the Guardians.

“The guys have done everything they needed to do with the time off to keep their deliveries intact. We’re going to give up some hits at times,” Cash said. “That’s a very good team over there. They put a lot of pressure on pitchers and can foul balls off and lengthen out at-bats.”

Things nearly got even worse for the Rays in the ninth, when Caminero and left fielder Jonny DeLuca collided while chasing Brayan Rocchio’s foul ball.

Caminero, who had 42 homers, 101 RBIs and an .885 OPS during the regular season, was shaken up on the play but remained in the game after a brief delay.

Cash said he thought the All-Star slugger “just got the wind knocked out of him” and seemed to be “totally fine now.”

“I feel good overall. Just my head hurts a little bit, but overall good,” Caminero said. “I was just hit in the chest.”

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Cleveland Guardians' Chase DeLauter hits a home run against the Tampa Bay Rays during the sixth inning in Game 1 of an American League Championship Series baseball game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Cleveland Guardians' Patrick Bailey watches his home run against the Tampa Bay Rays during the seventh inning in Game 1 of an American League Championship Series baseball game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Rays right fielder Jonny DeLuca and third baseman Junior Caminero collide try to catch a ball hit by Cleveland Guardians' Brayan Rocchio during the ninth inning in Game 1 of an American League Championship Series baseball game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Tampa Bay Rays right fielder Jonny DeLuca and third baseman Junior Caminero collide try to catch a ball hit by Cleveland Guardians' Brayan Rocchio during the ninth inning in Game 1 of an American League Championship Series baseball game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Ian Seymour reacts after giving up two runs against the Cleveland Guardians during the eighth inning in Game 1 of an American League Championship Series baseball game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Josh Allen realized that his extraordinary efforts throughout this frenetic game might all amount to nothing Monday night when the Buffalo Bills fumbled deep in Rams territory early in overtime.

The Bills' defense — and Greg Rousseau's outstretched hand — somehow gave him one more chance, and Allen again did everything necessary to get Tyler Bass in position to kick the field goal that ended a memorable evening.

Allen accounted for 331 total yards and two touchdowns, Bass made a 45-yard field goal with 1:55 left in overtime shortly after Rousseau blocked the Rams’ field goal attempt, and the Bills outlasted Los Angeles for a 37-34 victory.

“That’s the beautiful thing about football: You get another drive,” Allen said. “All you can do is keep moving forward. You’re hoping someone on defense or special teams can make a play, and that’s what happened. Greg Rousseau made a play.”

Allen passed for 210 yards and rushed for 121 more for the Bills (4-1), who rallied to win a back-and-forth thriller befitting the teams with the NFL’s last two MVPs at quarterback. Buffalo is off to a 4-1 start for the sixth time in eight seasons, but the first under rookie head coach Joe Brady.

The Bills appeared to be in trouble after James Cook fumbled early in OT, but Rousseau gave Allen another chance — and the star quarterback finally won an overtime game for the first time in his career while besting Matthew Stafford, who passed for 383 yards and three touchdowns.

“That overtime kind of showed the type of character of who our team is,” Brady said. “You don’t want to fumble. That can’t happen. But we just keep playing.”

Cook scored his second touchdown with 1:39 left in regulation for Buffalo, but Kyren Williams scored on a 1-yard surge with 4 seconds left to force overtime. The Bills began OT by driving again, but Aaron Donald recovered Cook’s fumble after Nate Landman punched it out.

Stafford drove the Rams to the Buffalo 30, but Sean McVay made a curiously conservative play-call on third down before Harrison Mevis missed his second field goal attempt of the night when Rousseau got a piece of it.

“The kicking game, with our PAT, field goal (unit) — not even close to good enough,” McVay said. “It cost us the game tonight. ... I'm going to evaluate everything.”

Allen then made scrambles of 19 and 13 yards, moving the Bills into range before Brady elected to try the field goal on second down with nearly two minutes still on the clock. Bass blasted his kick and ran away to celebrate before the officials signaled it good.

“The confidence I had in T-Bass was, ‘Hey, 45 yards, he’s going to make this kick,'” Brady said of his decision process.

Puka Nacua had a career-high 17 receptions for 138 yards and a score for the Rams (2-3), who are under .500 after five games for the fourth time in five seasons.

Along with McVay's fury over the Rams' latest special teams debacle, the coach rued his decision to get conservative before going to Mevis, whose three missed field goals this season are the most in the league.

“I wish I would have had a better play call and gone for it, got it tighter,” McVay said. “I'm sick right now with myself, and I'm so proud of that group. This is the tough part of sports, but I'm proud of that team. I'm proud of the way we battled, and I'm sick that we came up short.”

With superior special teams play and Allen's relentless effort, Buffalo held on to win another offensive shootout between these teams. The most recent time they met in December 2024, Los Angeles and Buffalo combined for 902 yards in the Rams’ 44-42 win.

After Davante Adams’ second TD catch with 7:14 left for the Rams in a game featuring six consecutive lead changes, Allen drove the Bills 71 yards with two scrambles through Los Angeles’ defense. After Cook scored the tiebreaking touchdown, Stafford completed six of seven throws down to the Buffalo 1, where the Rams eschewed a timeout so Williams could punch it in.

Adams tied Larry Fitzgerald for the sixth-most scoring receptions in NFL history (121). Blake Corum also rushed for a score, and tight end Tyler Higbee had five catches for 83 yards.

Keon Coleman caught Allen's only TD pass for Buffalo.

Cook rushed for 111 yards before his latest fumbling woes for the Bills, while Allen got more than 100 of his yards rushing on scrambles, repeatedly escaping the pocket and rendering useless the Rams’ tenacious secondary coverage. Buffalo finished with 234 yards rushing.

“When it’s there, it’s there,” Allen said. “I don’t want to make a living on that, I understand that, but I do know how much of a backbreaker that can be on a defense when you think you’re in pretty good coverage. I felt like there was some room to maneuver there and keep the chains moving.”

Bills: RT Spencer Brown left in the second half with a back injury. ... Top WR DJ Moore sat out with a shoulder injury.

Bills: At Vegas on Sunday.

Rams: Host Arizona on Sunday.

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, left, is sacked by Los Angeles Rams linebacker Josaiah Stewart during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Strazzante)

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, left, can't reach a pass in the end zone as Buffalo Bills running back Frank Gore Jr. watches during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Los Angeles Rams tight end Tyler Higbee, left, can't get to a pass in the end zone as Buffalo Bills safety Cole Bishop defends and was called for pass interference during the second half of an NFL football game, Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Los Angeles Rams running back Blake Corum, right, runs the ball as Buffalo Bills defensive end Michael Hoecht, upper left, and safety Cole Bishop try to tackle him during the second half of an NFL football game, Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Strazzante)

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, left, runs the ball as Los Angeles Rams safety Kamren Kinchens defends during the second half of an NFL football game, Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)