CLEVELAND, Ohio – After Petey Halpin’s heroics, the Cleveland Guardians are riding high as they host the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 4 of the ALCS tonight at a soggy Progressive Field.

How to watch this Guardians vs. Rays ALCS game on TV and streaming services:

• What: MLB ALCS Game 4: Cleveland Guardians vs. Tampa Bay Rays
• When: Friday, Oct. 16, 2026
• Time: 8:10 p.m. Eastern
• Channel: TBS, truTV, HBO Max and Univision (Spanish)
• Where: Progressive Field | Cleveland, Ohio
• Streaming options: DIRECTV (free trial and $35 off your first month) and SlingTV

How do I watch Guardians vs. Rays ALCS game for free today?

This Guardians vs. Rays ALCS game will broadcast live on TBS, truTV, HBO Max and Univision (Spanish) at 8:10 p.m. Eastern.

Fans who have parted ways with their local cable provider can watch at no cost by grabbing a free trial from DIRECTV, which also offers $35 off your first month.

Fans can also watch this game on SlingTV with the Sling Orange for just $45.99 per month. Sling Orange includes TBS, TNT and ESPN, among other channels.

Here are five storylines to watch for today’s game:

1. Petey Halpin delivered a decisive home run to take Game 3

Petey Halpin hit a go-ahead two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning off Tampa Bay starter Griffin Jax to lift Cleveland past the Rays, 3-2. His clutch hit, along with an earlier RBI double from Nathaniel Lowe, powered the Guardians to a 2-1 series lead.

2. Dominant pitching and bullpen depth sealed the Cleveland win

AL Cy Young candidate Gavin Williams struck out nine batters across five innings and 70 pitches before manager Stephen Vogt turned to a bullpen that threw four innings of one-hit relief. Closer Cade Smith finalized the victory by winning a 10-pitch battle against Yandy Diaz to earn a four-out save.

3. History gives Cleveland a strong but cautious statistical advantage

Postseason teams that win Game 3 in a best-of-seven series tied 1-1 have gone on to win 71 of 102 (69.2%) While this marks the fourth time Cleveland has held a 2-1 ALCS lead, the franchise previously lost advantages to the New York Yankees in 1998 and the Boston Red Sox in 2007.

4. Tampa Bay’s lineup continues to struggle at the plate

The Rays have generated just eight runs on 17 hits across three games against Cleveland pitching this postseason, managing only three hits in Game 3. Key hitters Jonathan Aranda and Junior Caminero have both gone cold, with Caminero striking out four times in Game 3 and Aranda going 0-for-10 in the series.

5. Game 4 features a bullpen game against regular-season standout Nick Martinez

Cleveland will start Shawn Armstrong in a bullpen game supported by bulk options like Joey Cantillo, Tanner Bibee, and Slade Cecconi. Tampa Bay will counter with Nick Martinez, who pitched 13 scoreless innings against the Guardians during two regular-season victories. Martinez won 15 games in the regular season.