The Rays can clinch the American League pennant tonight at Tropicana Field with Freddy Peralta on the mound. After taking two of three in Cleveland, Tampa Bay has the series back at the Trop, and Rick opens by wondering whether there's been a more clutch pitcher this postseason than Drew Rasmussen, who allowed one hit through five shutout innings in Sunday's 3-1 win. Rick and Steve talk about the Rays' run of timely scoring (a run in each of the first three innings), a wall-climbing catch in right field, and a bullpen that held up, including Cam Boozer and Tyler Wells. They also raise one concern: Brian Baker's velocity is starting to dip, which is another reason to finish it tonight and avoid a Game 7 that would require a patchwork of Griffin Jax, Ian Seymour, Nick Martinez, and Rasmussen. Waiting in the World Series would be the Milwaukee Brewers, who won 103 games and swept the Dodgers while trailing in every game.

The guys also reflect on how a team that was told to "block out the noise" has become so tight, why the Rays keep finding value from other organizations (Peralta, Rasmussen, Liam Hicks, and Boozer, who was out of baseball two years ago), and what it means for kids growing up in the Tampa Bay area. Rick says Kevin Cash, the longest-tenured manager in baseball, deserves a better first line on his Wikipedia page than Blake Snell, and shares memories of the 2008 World Series and the Ray Hawks. He also revisits last week's debate about Tampa Bay's crowds, saying the Rays' variable pricing started too high, and predicts there won't be many empty seats tonight (or as many Guardians fans as there were Steelers fans at Raymond James Stadium).

The second half is the Bucs' collapse. Tampa Bay led Pittsburgh 16-3 in the fourth quarter and lost 26-19 in overtime, in front of a stadium full of Terrible Towels. Chase McLaughlin kicked the game-tying field goal, the defense had five sacks (two from David Walker, Rueben Bain Jr.'s first career sack, and an interception by A'Shawn Robinson), but Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers came back, Jalon Daniels threw two interceptions, and he was sacked on the final play. Rick and Steve talk about the lack of a true number one receiver, the Dallas win being as much Dallas' loss as the Bucs' win, Todd Bowles saying there's "no margin for error" at 1-5, and the division math: Tampa Bay is two and a half games behind 3-2 Carolina, needs to go roughly 8-3 the rest of the way, and plays the Panthers next. Baker Mayfield's status won't be known until Wednesday. The show closes with the Lightning's 4-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks (6-2 on the season, heading to Vegas), a wild college football weekend (Florida beats Texas, Auburn beats Georgia, BYU beats Notre Dame, and Ohio State outlasts Indiana), and some stories about trying to get to Milwaukee.

Segments:

• Rays are one win from the World Series: Game 6 tonight with Peralta
• Rasmussen's clutch pitching and the Game 5 win
• Bullpen, Baker's velocity, and what Game 7 would look like
• Why this Rays team works: acquisitions, chemistry, and Kevin Cash
• Growing up with the Rays: 2008 memories and the Ray Hawks
• Bucs lose to the Steelers in overtime after leading 16-3
• Jalon Daniels, the receiver problem, and the defense's five sacks
• Bowles: "no margin for error" and the NFC South math
• Baker Mayfield's status for Carolina
• Lightning beat the Canucks 4-2 and head west
• World Series travel and a snowy bus ride to Green Bay
• College football: Florida over Texas, Auburn over Georgia, BYU over Notre Dame
• Sponsor: Breitling Boutique, International Plaza

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The Rays lost ALCS Game 3 in Cleveland 3-2, and Rick says their offense is in a bad place: three hits, 13 strikeouts from a team that rarely strikes out, and a "big three" of Yandy Diaz, Jonathan Aranda, and Junior Caminero that still hasn't shown up. Caminero struck out four times, and Rick and Steve wonder whether his shoulder is bothering him after the collision with Johnny DeLuca or whether he's simply pressing in his first real postseason, chasing pitches he normally lays off. They credit Gavin Williams and Cleveland's pitching and defense, note that Griffin Jax held the Guardians to three runs through five innings (which most people would have taken), and point out that Chandler Simpson's stand-up triple briefly gave Tampa Bay a 2-1 lead. With rain in the forecast and the Rays needing at least one win in Cleveland to get back to the Trop, the hosts even discuss how a rainout could line up Drew Rasmussen for Game 4. Meanwhile, the Brewers finished off the Dodgers with a 6-4 win, and Rick calls Milwaukee the quietest 100-win team ever and one that will be tough for anyone in the World Series.

Rick also returns to last night's debate about whether Tampa Bay is a bad baseball town. Neither LCS game was sold out (the Dodgers were about 7,000 seats short of their announced crowd), and he wonders why only the Rays got criticized. He points out that Tampa and Hillsborough County leaders committed roughly $2 million to a ballpark, and says you can't judge fandom on attendance or tell people how to spend their money.

On the Bucs, Baker Mayfield tried to throw after Wednesday's practice and it didn't go well, so he's out for Sunday and Jalon Daniels will make his third straight start against Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers. Rick thinks Baker will return at Carolina, but argues that the Dallas win means little if the Bucs can't follow it with one against Pittsburgh. They discuss T.J. Watt, Todd Bowles' calling Rodgers a "nightmare," how the Bucs could rattle him the way they did in the 2020 NFC Championship Game, why Jacob Parrish and Zyon McCollum are playing great, and whether the Bucs can finally win at home. Then it's a quick look at the Broncos' overtime win over the Seahawks, a happy night for the Lightning (Victor Hedman wins it in overtime against the Kraken, Steve flags that they blew two third-period leads and went 0-for-3 on the power play, and they're now 9-0-2 all-time against Seattle), and a college football weekend loaded with ranked matchups, including Florida at Texas and Florida State at Miami.

Segments:

• Rays lose ALCS Game 3 3-2: three hits and 13 strikeouts
• Caminero's struggles and the Rays' "big three"
• Game 4 rain possibilities and the need to win one in Cleveland
• Brewers sweep the Dodgers; the World Series outlook
• Neither LCS game sold out: Rick's defense of Tampa Bay baseball fans
• Bucs-Steelers preview: Baker Mayfield is out, Jalon Daniels starts again
• Stopping Aaron Rodgers and winning at home
• Broncos beat the Seahawks in overtime
• Lightning beat the Kraken in overtime: Victor Hedman's winner
• Lightning schedule: Canucks Saturday and a Western Conference run
• College football weekend: Florida at Texas, FSU at Miami, and a stacked slate
• Sponsor: Breitling Boutique, International Plaza

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The Rays play ALCS Game 3 in Cleveland at 1 p.m. today, moved up because of bad weather, and Rick and Steve open with the series, the NLCS, and a Dodgers "conspiracy theory." With the Brewers up 4-2 in the eighth inning of NLCS Game 3 as they recorded and on the verge of a 3-0 series lead (and Dave Roberts leaving Blake Snell in too long, which lets Kevin Cash off the hook), the guys picture a small-market World Series, with a stop to remember that the movie Major League was filmed in Milwaukee County Stadium, where the Packers used to play a game each year and the Bucs visited. Back in the ALCS, Griffin Jacks gets the ball in Game 3 with Nick Martinez available in relief and likely to start Game 4 on Friday, and Rasmussen on Saturday. They also congratulate Chandler Simpson and Taylor Walls, both Gold Glove finalists (Walls is up against Bobby Witt Jr.), Junior Caminero as a finalist for the Players Choice AL Outstanding Player award, and Shane McClanahan as a Comeback Player of the Year nominee. The Rays need at least one win in Cleveland, and the hosts discuss how the Guardians struggled at home this year, why an early lead matters, and how a sloppy fielding moment helped Tampa Bay in Game 2.

Then Rick takes on the question that comes up every time the Rays host a postseason game: is Tampa Bay a bad sports market? After the upper deck was opened for the first time since 2016 and crowds were in the low-to-mid 30,000s for Game 2, New York radio hosts were quick to pile on. Rick explains why he disagrees: mid-range seats at $150 each, parking, and food turn a game into a $500 night for two and $1,000 for a family of four, in a service and tourism economy with a transient population and plenty of fans who root for the teams they grew up with. He talks about how pro sports have priced out the average fan (Packers, Steelers, and Canadiens fans filling the seats Tampa Bay season ticket holders sell), why people shouldn't tell others how to spend their money, and the pull of an 85-inch TV at home. Steve adds that winning cures most of it, noting that Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, and the Braves once struggled too, and the guys end with the greed of professional sports and a nod to the Lightning's marketing.

The final stretch turns to the Bucs. Baker Mayfield wasn't at practice, Todd Bowles said he was scheduled to throw Wednesday afternoon, and Jalen Daniels handled the starting quarterback's press conference. Rick wouldn't be surprised if Baker returns to practice on Friday and is listed as questionable, explains Baker's "50 percent of me is better than 100 percent of somebody else" mindset, and weighs the argument for waiting until the Carolina division game against the argument for playing him now. They break down why the Steelers game is so important in a division where nobody has more than two wins, how a Deron Bland drop saved Daniels from a costly throw in Dallas, a tougher Pittsburgh defense with T.J. Watt, Aaron Rodgers' history in Tampa, and Bucky Irving firing up his offensive line before the Cowboys game because he was "so tired of losing." The Lightning host the Kraken at 7 p.m. looking to bounce back from the loss at the Rangers.

Segments:

• Rays-Guardians Game 3 moved to 1 p.m. in Cleveland
• NLCS update: Brewers on the verge of a 3-0 lead and the Dodgers conspiracy theory
• A small-market World Series? Milwaukee County Stadium and Major League
• Griffin Jacks starts Game 3: the pitching plan for the weekend
• Gold Glove finalists Chandler Simpson and Taylor Walls; Caminero and McClanahan honors
• What the Rays need in Cleveland
• Is Tampa Bay a bad sports market? Ticket prices, a service economy, and winning
• Baker Mayfield's thumb: will he play against the Steelers?
• Why the Steelers game matters in the NFC South
• Bucky Irving's fire and Aaron Rodgers' history in Tampa
• Lightning vs. the Kraken tonight
• Sponsor: Breitling Boutique, International Plaza

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