Rays Have Cleveland's Bullpen Right Where They Want It Entering Game 6

The Tampa Bay Rays are just one victory away from reaching the World Series following Sunday's 3-1 victory over the Cleveland Guardians in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series.

And while Drew Rasmussen deserves plenty of recognition for another outstanding performance, I think Tampa Bay has another significant advantage heading into Monday's Game 6.

Especially when you consider what happened to Cleveland's pitching staff on Sunday.

The Rays might have only scored three runs, but they consistently put pressure on the Guardians throughout the contest.

Tampa Bay finished with 12 hits and just six strikeouts, while collecting leadoff hits in each of the first four innings.

And that approach made things extremely difficult for Cleveland starter Parker Messick. He lasted just two innings after throwing more than 30 pitches in the first inning alone.

That forced Guardians manager Stephen Vogt to turn to his bullpen much earlier than anticipated.

And I think that could become a major problem for Cleveland. Especially considering the circumstances surrounding the remainder of this series.

Following Friday's postponement, the teams are now playing on consecutive days, meaning there isn't another scheduled day off before the ALCS concludes.

Cleveland has already needed significant contributions from relievers like Cade Smith and Hunter Gaddis.

And considering the Guardians also needed five games to eliminate the Chicago White Sox in the ALDS, their bullpen has been asked to do plenty throughout October.

However, what makes Tampa Bay's recent offensive production even more interesting is that they're accomplishing it without much help from arguably their best player.

Junior Caminero has struggled throughout the postseason, and while he delivered an important RBI double in Game 4, he hasn't consistently produced the way Rays fans expected.

Yet Tampa Bay keeps finding ways to win.

Yandy Díaz collected three hits Sunday, Jonathan Aranda added two, and Chandler Simpson continued creating opportunities with his speed.

And that's exactly what the Rays need to continue doing.

Tampa Bay doesn't necessarily need to hit three home runs or score seven runs to win Game 6.

But they need to continue working counts, putting the baseball in play, and forcing Cleveland's pitching staff into difficult situations.

Especially with Freddy Peralta expected to start Monday.

Of course, Caminero eventually needs to become a bigger part of this offense, particularly if Tampa Bay reaches the World Series.

However, the fact that the Rays are one victory away without consistently getting his best production says plenty about the rest of this lineup.

And if Tampa Bay can force Cleveland into another bullpen-heavy game Monday, I think the Rays have an excellent opportunity to finish the series at Tropicana Field.