Rays' Yandy Diaz Sends Bold Message to Guardians Before ALCS Game 6

The Cleveland Guardians are currently in a tough playoff series against the Tampa Bay Rays, with both teams trying to advance to the World Series.

Tampa Bay currently holds a 3-2 series lead in the American League Championship Series after they took the last two games from Cleveland on the road. The Guardians held a 2-1 series lead heading into Game 4, only to see the Rays silence their bats to retake the advantage.

Now the scene will head back to Tampa Bay for Game 6, and possibly Game 7, if the Guardians can force a final matchup. Cleveland had a similar situation play out in the ALDS against the Chicago White Sox, with the Guardians taking two straight road games to tie up the series.

But now the stakes are even higher, with the Guardians playing against a much better team in the Rays. Cleveland has confidence in itself, but this will be a tall task for any team to overcome.

Heading into Game 6, Rays star Yandy Diaz had a strong message following the Game 5 win over Cleveland. Diaz has proclaimed that Game 6 will be the final contest in this series, with him predicting that his team will win.

This is fairly bold of Diaz, but it shows the confidence that the Rays also have in themselves heading into Game 6. Both teams have played well at different times in this series, with it being a fairly tight matchup throughout.

Cleveland will be sending out veteran right-hander Shawn Armstrong to open Game 6, with the team taking an all-hands-on-deck approach to the game. With the Guardians facing elimination, manager Stephen Vogt won't hesitate to throw pretty much any arm into the contest.

Armstrong has pitched very well in the postseason for the Guardians, posting a 0.00 ERA over six appearances. Against Tampa Bay, he has fired four scoreless innings over three appearances, with Cleveland putting its complete trust in the veteran.

The only player that for sure won't be pitching is right-hander Gavin Williams, who Vogt said won't throw on short rest. Cleveland will likely be starting Williams in a Game 7, if they can force the final contest.

But the Guardians have to get to a Game 7 before they can start prepping the game plan, putting pressure on the other arms to get the job done. If Cleveland can force Game 7, it would set up one of the more anticipated games in recent franchise history.