ST. PETERSBURG - The Tampa Bay Rays clinched the American League pennant for the third time Monday night, defeating the Cleveland Guardians in six games at Tropicana Field to advance to the World Series for the first time since 2020 - and they did it with their pitching staff largely intact.

By avoiding a Game 7, the Rays preserved starter depth and bullpen health heading into a World Series that opens Friday night at American Family Field in Milwaukee against the Brewers, who swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS and have enjoyed a full week of rest.

“It’s easy to appreciate what we’re getting ready to go do next and the challenges that lie ahead. That’s a great team,” manager Kevin Cash said during his postgame press conference Monday night. “But for tonight, probably more appreciate the guys that you go to work with on a daily basis and realize what has just been accomplished.”

Ace Drew Rasmussen last pitched in Game 5 of the ALCS on Sunday evening in Cleveland. With four days between starts, Rasmussen could take the mound in Game 1 on Friday opposite Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski. The Rays have given Rasmussen generous rest throughout the postseason - his AL Division Series Game 1 start came on 10 days’ rest, and he received eight days off before his ALCS Game 1 assignment. When asked about his schedule after Monday’s clinching victory, Rasmussen kept it simple: “Throw a bullpen and figure out what game I get to start.”

ALCS MVP Freddy Peralta, who made two starts in the series against Cleveland, could also be available for Game 2 on Saturday at American Family Field with four days of rest. President of baseball operations Erik Neander declined to commit to a rotation plan. “We’ll think about that in a few days,” Neander said. “Tonight, just grateful that he put us on his back for two [starts] in this series.”

Closer Bryan Baker, who pitched in three straight games to close out the ALCS, will get a couple of days off before the series opens. Starters Griffin Jax, who last pitched in Game 3 on Thursday, and Nick Martinez, who last started Game 4 on Friday, were both spared from a potential Game 7 and will be rested for early World Series bullpen work before rotating back into starting assignments.

“They just want to help. They want to contribute,” Cash said before Game 6. “Not that we had this planned out by any stretch, but we knew that we were going to need to lean heavily on all five of our healthy starters at the end of the season to get where we were hoping to get.”

World Series Game 1 is scheduled for Friday night at American Family Field in Milwaukee.