Cleveland Guardians vs. Tampa Bay Rays: AL wild-card game 2 preview

CLEVELAND, OHIO - OCTOBER 07: A fan dressed as Santa Claus looks on as Emmanuel Clase #48 of the Cleveland Guardians pitches against the the Tampa Bay Rays during Game One of the Wild Card Series at Progressive Field on October 07, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

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CLEVELAND, OHIO – SEPTEMBER 27: Steven Kwan #38 of the Cleveland Guardians hits an RBI double during the fourth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Progressive Field on September 27, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /

We should see similar lineups to what we saw in Game 1. The Guardians tend to rotate first base and DH, but don’t expect to see major changes in the lineup. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay loaded up left-handed hitters against righty Shane Bieber, using switch-hitters Wander Franco and Ji-man Choi and starting lefty Taylor Walls at second base.

How much offense these teams put up remains the question. Neither team is built to mash, as both tend to string hits together. And with another great pitching matchup and well-rested bullpens, runs may not be much easier to come by on Saturday. Other than Jose Siri, no Ray really hit well against Bieber in Game 1. On the Guardians’ side, they threatened often, but were unable to capitalize until Ramírez’s sixth inning home run.

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