Rays Beat Guardians in Six, Face Brewers in Small-Market World Series

The Tampa Bay Rays clinched their first American League pennant since 2020, finishing off the Guardians in six games Monday at Tropicana Field. Next up are the Milwaukee Brewers, who swept the defending champion Dodgers. Neither club is one of baseball's biggest spenders: Tampa Bay's $113.2 million luxury tax payroll is the fourth smallest, while Milwaukee's $154.7 million ranks 19th. Neither franchise has won a World Series, so the first small-market champion since the 2015 Royals is guaranteed. Game 1 is Friday at American Family Field, and the series plays out amid a labor fight over the owners' proposed hard salary cap.