The Cleveland Guardians are feeling right at home away from home in the playoffs, and they’re looking to keep that momentum going in Game 2 against the Tampa Bay Rays. Pitching Tuesday is Parker Messick, a Plant City, Florida native, who’s got a whole crew of family and friends making the short drive to Tropicana Field to cheer him on. Messick, a rookie lefty, has actually pitched well against the Rays this year, giving up just two runs in over 13 innings across two starts. He’s hoping that trend continues as he aims to help the Guardians take a 2-0 lead in the series. After a strong 7-3 win in Game 1, where the team rallied late with key hits from Nathaniel Lowe, Jo Adell, Patrick Bailey, and a homer from Chase DeLauter, Cleveland’s bats are hot. They’ve scored 25 runs in their three road playoff games so far. On the Rays’ side, Freddy Peralta is set to start, and he’s been solid recently, but he’ll have his work cut out against this Guardians lineup. There’s also good news on the injury front: Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero is fine after a scary collision in Game 1, just getting the wind knocked out of him. So, all systems go for what should be an exciting matchup.
