Tampa Bay was baseball's best story for three months. Now they've dropped 4 of 5 and Cleveland's rolling into Tropicana Field at the right time.
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CLETB
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Cleveland's won 2 of its last 3 while Tampa Bay just got swept in a 4-game set and has dropped 4 of 5. The Rays are still the better team on paper, but a club scuffling like this on a short homestand is a live target, especially with Cleveland getting healthier by the week.
Guardians
+Won 2 of last 3, 13-run outburst vs Twins
+Jose Ramirez progressing, could return without rehab stint
−Below .500 stretch overall, 53-48 on season
−Bullpen down Tim Herrin on 15-day IL
Rays
+Best record in the matchup at 57-42
+Snapped skid with 7-1 win over Toronto
−Just got swept in 4-game set by Boston
−Fraley and Lux both hurt again on rehab attempts
Joey Cantillo (8-5, 3.74) takes the ball for Cleveland on Friday, July 24, trying to bounce back from a rough outing against Pittsburgh where he lasted just 5 innings and gave up 4 earned runs despite 7 strikeouts. Tampa Bay hasn't announced its starter, so the pitcher matchup card leans one-sided for now, but that shouldn't matter much given how the Rays' offense has completely dried up.
This is a big spot for a Rays team that entered the week atop the AL East and is suddenly staring at real questions. Boston swept a 4-game set at Fenway, including a doubleheader sweep, and ran its own win streak to 13 games in the process. Tampa Bay's lineup has been picked apart without Jake Fraley and Gavin Lux, both stuck on the injured list after setbacks on rehab assignments, and Steven Matz is still working his way back from an ankle issue. The Rays did snap the skid with a 7-1 win over Toronto to close last week, so there's at least a pulse heading into this series.
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CLE Guardians
TB Rays
Cleveland's in the opposite mode. The Guardians have won 2 of their last 3, including a 13-4 blowout of Minnesota, and Jose Ramirez is trending toward a return without needing a rehab assignment after hand surgery — manager Stephen Vogt has pointed to the last week of July or first week of August as realistic. Getting a former MVP-caliber bat back midseason would be a massive lift for a lineup that's had to scrape by without him and Angel Martinez, who's also working back from a foot injury.
Cleveland Guardians
Jul 23?vs Twins—
Jul 22?vs Twins—
Jul 21?vs Twins—
Tampa Bay Rays
Jul 23?@ Blue Jays—
Jul 22?@ Blue Jays—
Jul 21?@ Blue Jays—
Recent form.
The Guardians' bullpen has absorbed some hits too — Tim Herrin is still out on the 15-day IL — but Cleveland's found a way to string wins together anyway, including that mid-week rout of the Twins. Tampa Bay, meanwhile, is dealing with a much deeper injury list: Ryan Pepiot is done for the year after hip surgery, and names like Edwin Uceta, Manuel Rodriguez and Jonathan Heasley remain shelved, thinning out a pitching staff that's been one of the sport's best stories in 2026.
Cleveland Guardians
(0)
Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
Tampa Bay Rays
(0)
Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
Injury report — info via ESPN.
First pitch at Tropicana Field is 7:10 PM ET. The Rays still have the better record and the deeper roster on paper, but form matters, and right now Cleveland is playing with far more juice than a Tampa Bay group that's lost its footing after the All-Star break. This series is as much about which team stops the bleeding first as it is about who's actually better.
