Guardians' Chase DeLauter had the moment he deserved in Game 1 of the ALCS vs. Rays

The Guardians got off to a much better start than the ALDS on Monday night and jumped the Rays in Game 1 to win 7-3. A scripted win could not have provided a better result, as the offense clicked into high-gear in the later innings and the pitching held strong against a tough Rays lineup. Furthermore, neither starter nor reliever overexposed themselves in the first game of a longer series.

As great as many players were in this initial game, and there were many who played well, one player stood out among them all: Chase DeLauter. He went 3-for-4, a triple shy of the cycle, with a walk to boot.

Outside of the box score, he put together great at-bats and was timely in his damage. DeLauter’s solo shot in the sixth inning began the scoring effort for the Guardians and clawed away at the Rays lead (and starter Drew Rasmussen), while his ninth inning walk turned into a run and provided insurance for the Guardians late.

Chase DeLauter’s well-deserved coming out party puts Guardians in ALCS driver's seat after Game 1

It is a beautiful thing to celebrate DeLauter in this moment, especially given the obstacles he faced in his journey to the big leagues. DeLauter has had the makings of a potential superstar since his inception into professional baseball. His minor league career saw him slash .302/.384/.504 with a BB/K ratio of almost 1:1. Unfortunately, injuries continued to get in the way.

DeLauter spent three full seasons in the minor leagues, yet only played in 138 games. Last year, he played in just 42 minor league games before being added to the Postseason roster for the Wild Card round. He suffered a minor injury early in spring training this year and dealt with an IL stint in June this year. It is fair to say he deserves this moment as much as the next person, and he certainly delivered.

Perhaps the most telling sign of DeLauter’s potential stardom was the Rays decision to pitch to José Ramírez in the ninth inning, rather than intentionally walking him to face DeLauter. As fate would have it, both hitters got on and scored in a classic game of “pick your poison.” That action, or lack thereof, from Kevin Cash is something that would never have happened in previous Postseason runs and is the ultimate compliment to the prowess of DeLauter in the batter’s box.

The Guardians offense as a whole thumped in Game 1, providing 14 hits in addition to the seven runs scored. Though Rasmussen only surrendered two runs himself, the Guardians had several hits against him and another handful of hard hit balls that had the misfortune of finding mitts. This could be a great sign of things to come, especially as Parker Messick takes the hill for Game 2 and Gavin Williams is likely to start Game 3. Additionally, Cade Smith made quick work in the ninth and will certainly be available if the Guards call on him for Game 2.

The Guardians needed to steal a game in Tampa Bay, and the timing could not have been better than with Game 1. Now, not only do they have home-field advantage moving forward, but also possess an opportunity to go back to Progressive Field up 2-0. The Guardians have all the momentum in the world and are only three wins away from their first World Series appearance in a decade.

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