CHICAGO (AP) — Pretty typical game for José Ramírez, and that was a big deal for the Cleveland Guardians.
Ramírez broke out of his batting slump Wednesday, helping Cleveland avoid a sweep in its AL Division Series against the Chicago White Sox. The seven-time All-Star had two hits, drove in two runs and scored twice during the Guardians' 9-3 victory in Game 3.
“Josy, that’s why he’s one of the best players in the league,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt
said. “He can hurt you with the bat, the legs and the glove. He showed all that today.”
The 34-year-old Ramírez also made a diving stop at third on Miguel Vargas’ bases-loaded smash in the sixth inning, preserving Cleveland’s 5-3 advantage.
“After that play, it was, OK, this is our game to win, and that’s what we were able to do,” Ramírez said through a translator.
Ramírez was sidelined for five weeks after he broke a bone in his left hand on a swing against Detroit on June 13. The switch-hitter had surgery before returning on July 22 against Minnesota.
But he hit just .229 with two homers and 20 RBIs in 53 games after the operation. Then he went 0 for 6 with two walks in the first two games of the ALDS against the White Sox.
With the Guardians facing elimination, Ramírez delivered — just as he had so many times before.
“It feels special,” Ramírez said. “You know the type of season I had, but it’s important for us to win any game going forward because for us it’s do or die. So it feels really good. ... But for us, it’s the same mindset going forward.”
The first sign Ramírez was headed for a big night occurred in the first inning, when he hit a 107.9 mph liner that was caught by a diving Randal Grichuk in left field.
“We always know he’s one swing away,” Vogt said. “When he hit that first ball in the first inning ... great play by Grichuk. You knew he was here.”
Ramírez walked and scored on Jo Adell's three-run triple in the third, helping Cleveland take a 4-1 lead.
Playing in his 48th postseason game — all with Cleveland — Ramírez manufactured an insurance run for the Guardians in the fifth. He doubled, stole third and scored on Chase DeLauter’s grounder to second, beating Kyle Teel’s tag with a headfirst slide.
Ramírez’s savvy baserunning gave the Guardians a 5-2 advantage.
“When he got that stolen base at third, that kind of made it a José Ramírez game,” Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan said.
Ramírez popped up leading off the seventh, but he helped Cleveland put it away with a two-run triple with two outs in the eighth. Ramírez clapped his hands in excitement and threw an upper cut with his right arm as he stood on third after the important swing.
“Great game by Ramírez,” White Sox manager Will Venable said. “Obviously, we know how special a player he is.”
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