The Cuban Yandy Díaz connected three hits on Sunday in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series (ALCS) against the Cleveland Guardians, and then made a promise that ignited the Tampa Bay fans: the Rays will win Game 6 this Monday and will be in the World Series.
The designated hitter and lead-off batter for the Tampa Bay Rays opened the game with a double and scored a run in the 3-1 victory. With this result, Tampa Bay leads the series 3-2 and is just one win away from their third World Series in the franchise's history.
After the victory, Díaz left no doubts for the media. "We have a great opportunity. We're all thinking about it," the Cuban said through his interpreter. "But it all ends tomorrow. We are going to win tomorrow."
Game 6 is scheduled for this Monday at 8:00 p.m. ET at Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida, with broadcasting on TBS, truTV, UniMas, and HBO Max. If Cleveland wins, Game 7 would take place on Tuesday, also at the Rays' home.
Sunday's performance was the continuation of an unstoppable streak for the native of Sagua la Grande. In Game 4, he hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning that secured a 7-3 victory and tied the series at 2-2. In Game 5, in addition to the lead-off double that scored the first run, he also added a single to the opposite field in the second inning that triggered Tampa Bay's second run, driven in by Jonathan Aranda.
Díaz has accumulated five hits in the last two games and has safely connected in seven of his eight postseason games in 2026, with an average of .314 and an OPS of .847.
The Rays' manager, Kevin Cash, succinctly summarized what the Cuban means to the team: "I have said it for many seasons: if he performs, we perform. What Yandy does at the top of our lineup energizes everyone."
Even the opposing manager, Stephen Vogt, from the Guardians, acknowledged his quality: "One of the best hitters in Major League Baseball. He uses the opposite field with fast pitches and pulls the changeups. He doesn't get nervous. He has been one of the best all-around hitters in our league for a long time."
Díaz, 35 years old, left Cuba on his fifth attempt—arriving by raft in the Dominican Republic in 2013—and was signed by the Cleveland Indians that same year. After being traded to Tampa Bay in December 2018, he became one of the most consistent hitters in the American League, winning the AL batting title in 2023 with an average of .330 and finishing the 2026 regular season with 22 home runs and 85 RBIs.
His 33 postseason games with the Rays are a franchise record, and his 25 postseason hits rank him third in the club's history, behind Randy Arozarena (38) and B.J. Upton (27). He is also the only active player on the roster who was part of the 2020 World Series team, when his team lost to the Dodgers.
For Game 6, the Rays will have right-hander Freddy Peralta on the mound, who has a 0.79 ERA in 11.1 innings this postseason. The Guardians, who in the previous round and are seeking their first title since 1948, will need to improvise a bullpen plan after using six pitchers on Sunday.
Nine Cubans participate in the MLB playoffs 2026, which began in September. They are spread across seven of the 12 teams that qualified for the postseason, in both the American League and the National League.
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