Schedule and 2026 Results
Regular Season Records: Tampa Bay 98-64, Cleveland 85-77
Game 1 on Monday, 12 October: Cleveland wins at Tampa Bay, 7-runs-3
Game 2 on Tuesday, 13 October: Cleveland loses at Tampa Bay, 3-runs-1
Game 3 on Thursday, 15 October: Tampa Bay loses at Cleveland, 3-runs-2
Game 4 on Saturday, 17 October: Tampa Bay wins at Cleveland, 7-runs-3
Game 5 on Sunday, 18 October: Tampa Bay wins at Cleveland, 3-runs-1
Game 6 on Monday, 19 October: Cleveland loses at Tampa Bay, 7-runs-3

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 6: The Tampa Bay Rays hosted and bested the Cleveland Guardians 7-runs-3 to complete a 4-games-2 best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1647 victory. With the series 1647 win, the Tampa Bay Rays improve their best-of-7 MLB playoff series record to 3-2 overall and 3-0 in the Semifinals round. With the series 1647 loss, the Cleveland Guardians see their best-of-7 MLB playoff series record fall to 0-2 overall and 0-2 in the Semifinals round. The win order for the victorious Tampa Bay Rays in series 1647 was LWLWWW: Series 1647 thus becomes the third MLB Semifinals-round series, the sixth MLB series (all rounds), and the 46th MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to follow that win order to completion. The win order for the victorious Tampa Bay Rays in series 1647 was LWLWWW over the vanquished Cleveland Guardians; ironically, the only other MLB team to win a best-of-7 Semifinals playoff series via a LWLWWW win order was the predecessor entity to the series 1647-losing Cleveland Guardians - the old Cleveland Indians, which defeated the Seattle Mariners LWLWWW to win the 1995 American League Championship Series (series 695).

After Game 5: The Tampa Bay Rays visited and bested the Cleveland Guardians 3-runs-1 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1647 lead of 3-games-2. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Tampa Bay Rays have a series record of 2-0 and a Game 6 record of 0-2. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Cleveland Guardians have a series record of 0-0 and a Game 6 record of 0-0. In both series 1053 against the Boston Red Sox in the 2008 American League Championship Series and series 1449 against the Houston Astros in the 2020 ALCS, the Tampa Bay Rays held a 3-games-2 lead after five games, lost Game 6 at home, and then won Game 7 at home to win the series. The predecessor entity to the Cleveland Guardians, the old Cleveland Indians, had a best-of-7 MLB playoff series record of 0-3 and Game 6 record of 1-2 in the wake of a 3-games-2 series deficit. MLB teams posting a LWLWW @ HHVVV win/site order (as Tampa Bay has in series 1647) have an active four-series winning streak, beginning in series 51 with the St. Louis Cardinals' series victory over the old St. Louis Browns in the 1944 World Series.

After Game 4: The Tampa Bay Rays visited and vanquished the Cleveland Guardians 7-runs-3 to tie best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1647 at 2-games-all. When tied 2-games-all in a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series, the Tampa Bay Rays have a series record of 0-1 and a Game 5 record of 0-1, while the Cleveland Guardians have a series record of 0-0 and a Game 5 record of 0-0. The predecessor entity to the Cleveland Guardians, the old Cleveland Indians, had a best-of-7 MLB playoff series record of 1-2 and Game 5 record of 1-2 in the wake of a 2-games-all series tie. Series 1647 is the first best-of-7 MLB playoff series to follow a punch-counterpunch path through four games since series 1517, when the Philadelphia Phillies posted a WLWL win order against the Houston Astros to begin the 2022 MLB Finals, which Houston then won in six games.

After Game 3: The Cleveland Guardians hosted and bested the Tampa Bay Rays 3-runs-2 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1647 lead of 2-games-1. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the Cleveland Guardians have a series record of 0-0 and a Game 4 record of 0-0. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the Tampa Bay Rays have a series record of 0-2 and a Game 4 record of 1-1. The predecessor entity to the Cleveland Guardians, the old Cleveland Indians, had a best-of-7 MLB playoff series record of 2-3 and Game 4 record of 4-1 in the wake of a 2-games-1 series lead.

After Game 2: The Tampa Bay Rays hosted and defeated the Cleveland Guardians 3-runs-1 to tie best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1647 at 1-game-all. When tied 1-game-all in a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series, the Tampa Bay Rays have a series record of 1-2 and a Game 3 record of 1-2, while the Cleveland Guardians have a series record of 0-0 and a Game 3 record of 0-0. In best-of-7 MLB playoff series in which the Tampa Bay Rays were knotted 1-game-all after two games, their Game 3 outcome presaged their series outcome (one win; two losses). With their series 1647 Game 2 victory, the Tampa Bay Rays now have a perfect 5-0 Game 2 record in best-of-7 MLB playoff series. The predecessor entity to the Cleveland Guardians (i.e., the old Cleveland Indians) when tied 1-game-all in a best-of-7 MLB playoff series had a 3-4 series record with a concluding four-series losing streak, and a 5-2 Game 3 record.

After Game 1: The Cleveland Guardians visited and topped the Tampa Bay Rays 7-runs-3 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1647 lead of 1-game-nil. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Cleveland Guardians have a series record of 0-0 and a Game 2 record of 0-0. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Tampa Bay Rays have a series record of 1-2 and a Game 2 record of 3-0. Irrespective of Game 1 outcome, the Tampa Bay Rays have won all four of the best-of-7 MLB playoff Game 2s that they have played in their history. In the history of best-of-7 MLB playoff series, the last road team to win Game 1 by four or more runs was the Atlanta Braves, in series 1484 over the Astros in Houston in 2021 World Series Game 1. Leading a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 1-game-nil as their predecessor entity, the old Cleveland Indians had a 1-1 series record and a 1-1 Game 2 record, with both the Game 2 and series wins occurring in series 1317 over the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2016 American League Championship Series, and both the Game 2 and series losses occurring in series 1319 to the Chicago Cubs in the 2016 World Series.

Pre-series assessment: In the 2026 MLB regular season, the Tampa Bay Rays finished thirteen games ahead of the Cleveland Guardians. From 1905 through the 2025 MLB Finals round, when MLB teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by thirteen regular-season games, they have posted a best-of-7 playoff series record of 1-1 (.500) in those series against those opponents. Best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1647 is the fifth best-of-7 MLB playoff series for the Tampa Bay Rays, and the second (as the Guardians) for the Cleveland Guardians. In best-of-7 MLB playoff series, the Tampa Bay Rays have an all-rounds series record of 2-2, a Semifinals-round series record of 2-0, and a Game 1 record of 1-3, while the Cleveland Guardians have an all-rounds series record of 0-1, a Semifinals-round series record of 0-1, and a Game 1 record of 0-1. Series 1647 is the first best-of-7 MLB playoff series meeting between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cleveland Guardians. Including their ten best-of-7 MLB playoff series as the old Cleveland Indians, the Cleveland In/Guar-dians in best-of-7 MLB playoff series have an overall 4-7 series record, a Semifinals-round 3-3 series record, and an overall 2-9 Game 1 record.