Cleveland comes up short in ALCS, extending World Series title drought to 78 years

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — For yet another season, Cleveland baseball fans will have to wait.

The city’s proud major league franchise still hasn’t won a World Series since 1948.

After the Guardians fell a little short once again with a 7-3 loss to Tampa Bay in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series on Monday night, it will be the Rays meeting the Milwaukee Brewers in the Fall Classic — the first once since 1980 between teams seeking their first World Series title.

“Yeah, let it hurt,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said he told his club. “That hurts. I couldn’t be more proud of our group. It just hurts. It stings. Really felt like we had a team to go and just weren’t able to get there.”

Seemingly in control of the best-of-seven ALCS after winning two of the first three games, José Ramírez and the Guardians are left to lament three straight losses. Tampa Bay used clear superiority in its starting rotation, bullpen and late-series offense to eliminate Cleveland.

Seeing the Guardians’ best relievers repeatedly – including opener Shawn Armstrong in Game 4 on Saturday and again Monday in Game 6 — the Rays improved their swings as the series progressed.

Cleveland’s staff, which struck out 27 batters over the first three games, didn’t get its first strikeout Monday until Daniel Espino fanned Victor Mesa Jr. in the fifth inning.

By then, Tampa Bay held a 3-0 lead, grinding out runs in trademark fashion. And, as they did over the prior two games, the Rays' pitching staff kept the Guardians at arm’s length.

“It just seemed like when we had the hit that we wanted, just runners weren’t where they needed to be,” designated hitter Jo Adell said. “That’s the name of the game. And they threw the ball well. I give credit where credit's due. They did a phenomenal job throwing the baseball and playing their game and we came up short. We weren’t able to match that.”

The Guardians nearly matched it in the eighth, when they almost overcame a 5-1 deficit. Chase DeLauter was initially ruled out on a grounder, but Cleveland challened and the call was overturned after a replay review, giving the rookie his second hit of the game. After Nathaniel Lowe's single, Rays manager Kevin Cash brought in struggling left-hander Ian Seymour, who promptly loaded the bases by walking Travis Bazzana.

Seymour then walked Patrick Bailey to score DeLatuer, and hit Angel Martínez with a pitch to force in Lowe and make it 5-3.

But with the bases still loaded, Kevin Kelly entered and struck out Brayan Rocchio on three pitches.

“We fought every pitch,” Bazzana said. “We went down 5-1 and fought back when it looked like it was over. Obviously, that’s not good enough to get it done, but that just shows some of the character that we have in this clubhouse.”

Cleveland led the AL with 41 comeback victories this season, but fatigue clearly caught up with the Guardians as Tampa Bay closed out the series. The Guardians didn’t hold a lead over the final 25 innings.

And Vogt was left wondering whether ace Gavin Williams, who struck out nine over five innings in his Game 3 victory, would’ve been the better option Monday on three days’ rest.

Instead, the manager used eight relievers Monday, and Tampa Bay showed no hospitality.

The Rays even got to Cleveland’s best reliever, All-Star closer Cade Smith, when the right-hander faced Junior Caminero in the seventh. Caminero pulled Smith’s first-pitch splitter off the left-field foul pole for a two-run homer that gave the Rays a 5-1 lead.

Yandy Díaz added a two-run shot off Hunter Gaddis to make it 7-3 in the eighth.

“That's a great baseball team,” Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan said. “Great baseball teams win big games. They played defense better than us, hit better than us, they pitched better than us. We didn’t beat ourselves. We got beat. So, as a competitor, I think we can live with that. Disappointing, but that’s a great team over there.”

Cleveland, which won the AL Central and came back to beat the Chicago White Sox in their Division Series by winning three straight, has advanced to the World Series four times since winning its most recent title by beating the Boston Braves in the 1948 World Series.

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Cleveland Guardians' Nathaniel Lowe hits an RBI-single against the Tampa Bay Rays during the sixth inning in Game 6 of an American League Championship Series baseball game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Monday, Oct. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Cleveland Guardians' Angel Martínez gets hit by a pitch with the bases loaded against the Tampa Bay Rays during the eighth inning in Game 6 of an American League Championship Series baseball game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Monday, Oct. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Cleveland Guardians pitcher Shawn Armstrong throws against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning in Game 6 of an American League Championship Series baseball game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Monday, Oct. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Cleveland Guardians pitcher Shawn Armstrong leaves the game against the Tampa Bay Rays during the second inning in Game 6 of an American League Championship Series baseball game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Monday, Oct. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Cleveland Guardians' Travis Bazzana reacts after flying out Tampa Bay Rays during the second inning in Game 6 of an American League Championship Series baseball game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Monday, Oct. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Canadian Broadcasting Corp. projects Alberta voters rejected a move toward independence.

THIS IS AN APNewsAlert. Check back for updates. AP's earlier story is below.

Canada awaited results Tuesday from a referendum that could put oil-rich Alberta on a path toward independence, testing Prime Minister Mark Carney’s push for unity amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war and annexation threats.

Results were delayed after late openings forced more than 100 polling stations to extend voting hours Monday. More than 1.35 million Albertans, or 43% of eligible voters, cast advance or special ballots.

The vote was not a direct referendum on independence. Albertans were deciding whether to remain in Canada or begin a legal process that could lead to a second vote on separation.

Alberta, home to the world’s fourth-largest proven oil reserves, is cowboy country and a conservative stronghold whose political culture has long had more in common with the American West than much of Canada. Resentment toward Ottawa runs deep, but has not traditionally translated into widespread support for independence.

Dustin Degenhardt, a Wainwright voter, said Albertans have long been mistreated by Ottawa.

“Alberta has essentially been treated as, you know, a colony,” he said after voting Monday. “They want to take and take and take from us and not return anything.”

Taylor MacIsaac, another Wainwright voter, backed separation.

“I think it’ll be good for Alberta to separate personally, as a very conservative individual that grew up in rural Alberta,” she said.

Dave Malka, 59, of Edmonton, criticized spending money on a “referendum on a referendum” rather than health care.

With Trump threatening Canada, Malka said, “It seems to be happening at the absolute worst time when we should be united; instead we’re fighting among ourselves.”

Jake Graham, 35, of Calgary, attended a Carney rally wearing maple leaf pants and a Canada hockey jacket. He hopes the vote ends the debate.

“I hope this squashes this for a long time to come and that it’s clear and decisive, that these grumblings disappear for a while and we can be a united Canada,” he said.

Even if the proposal fails, separatist leaders say they have turned a fringe cause into a movement that will not disappear.

Carney earlier urged Albertans to deliver a decisive vote for unity. “Vote like Canada’s future depends on it because it does,” he told a rally Friday in Edmonton, where he grew up.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith called the referendum amid pressure from separatists within her governing United Conservative Party, even though she opposes independence. She cited a poll showing just 22% support for separation, a figure she said was still too high.

Separatist parties traditionally attracted only 1% or 2% of the vote, former Premier Jason Kenney said. Anger over COVID-19 restrictions helped mobilize activists who later embraced the separatist movement, he said.

Trump’s trade war and threats to make Canada the 51st U.S. state have helped Carney rally support in Alberta, where Liberal prime ministers have historically been unpopular.

Separatist advocate Jeff Rath said he would be thrilled if 30% of Albertans voted to begin the separation process. He wants Smith ousted as leader of her governing United Conservative Party and said the party could splinter, potentially creating a new pro-independence party.

Associated Press Writer Ty ONeil contributed to this report from Wainwright, Alberta.

Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney signs an autograph as he attends a national unity rally in Red Deer, Alberta, Friday Oct. 16, 2026. (John Ulan/The Canadian Press via AP)

Jeff Rath, Calgary-based constitutional and Indigenous rights lawyer and co-founder of the Alberta Prosperity Project (APP) speaks with Le Canal Nouvelles (LCN) at the Alberta Prosperity Project referendum watch party in Edmonton, Alberta Monday, Oct. 19, 2026. (John Ulan/The Canadian Press via AP)

Political signs are posted on a property's fence in Wainwright, Alberta, Canada, Monday, Oct. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Ty O'Neil)

A voting location in Wainwright, Alberta, is seen on Monday, Oct. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Ty O'Neil)

Supporters wait for results at the pro-Canada watch party in Edmonton, Alberta Monday, Oct. 19, 2026. (James Maclennan/The Canadian Press via AP)