Jose Ramirez bounces back to help Guardians advance to ALCS

Jose Ramirez gave the Guardians next to nothing in the first two games of the American League Division. Then, he gave them everything. Ramirez, a seven-time All-Star and perennial MVP candidate, went hitless (0-for-6) in front of the Progressive Field fans in Games 1 and 2, and like the rest of his teammates, looked lost at the plate in 3-0 and 4-3 losses to the White Sox. But once the series shifted to Chicago and the Guardians needed him most, their undisputed leader rose to the occasion. Ramirez went 5-for-12, hit two home runs and drove in seven runs over the final three games as he helped bring Cleveland back from the brink of postseason extinction. "It's just like we always talk about. He's one swing away from getting it going and I think every ball he put in play was hard the last three games. That's just who he is," manager Stephen Vogt said after the Guardians clinched the series with a 2-0 win Saturday night in Cleveland. "You don't ever count him out. You don't ever worry about him. He's going to show up when we need him." "I would not doubt Jose Ramirez. He willed his way to finding a way to help us win three games," team president Chris Antonetti said from a jubilant clubhouse after the Game 5 victory. "José is José. We all love him," said Game 5 starter Gavin Williams, who matched Charles Nagy with a postseason record 12 strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings, while recording his second of five double-digit strikeout performances by Cleveland pitchers in playoff history. "He always has that one moment all the time. We know what he's going to do." Ramirez's moment arrived in the fourth inning Saturday, when he went way down to golf a 2-2 pitch from Chicago starter Sean Burke just over the wall and inside the foul pole in right field for a game-winning, two-run homer. The ball was under a foot from the ground when it crossed the plate, accounting for the lowest pitch hit out in the postseason during the pitch tracking era (since 2008). "When he hit it, I was kind of wishing it away from (White Sox right fielder Tristan) Peters and then it snuck out. It was unbelievable," Vogt said. "I mean, to go down and get that and be able to get through that, that takes some power. That takes some strength." Cleveland reliever Hunter Gaddis thought Burke made the perfect pitch to Ramirez. "He's still going to hit it, but it's OK, he's on my team," Gaddis said. It was a struggle for much of the regular season for Ramirez, who was sidelined for close to two months after surgery on his right hand. He hit only .235 with 12 homers in 125 games and carried it into the first two games against the White Sox. But he reversed the trend at the perfect time. "The focus is always the same, trying to do the best for the team, and these last three games it's shown up in the results," Ramirez said through an interpreter. "It's always the same focus and what I need to do for the team. Always, these games, you want to do your best because it's do or die. You don't win; you go home. "I have been lucky to have a lot of opportunities in sports, and I knew that we would have the chance to turn things around and that's what gradually we were able to do." "It was like we got our backs against the wall and he said, 'All right, I got you.' And that's what he's been doing for this franchise long before I got here," Vogt said. "And he's been through a lot this year. We've been through a lot this year, and we cannot wait to play on Monday and I can't wait to keep watching José Ramírez do what he does. "He's Cleveland baseball. He chose multiple times throughout his career to stay here. He loves this city. He loves this franchise. He loves his teammates. José means everything to this city, and I'm just happy that I get to watch him play every night." It's been suggested that Ramirez deserves a statue amongst the Cleveland greats, including Jim Thome. "He's closer to that every day. That statue might be on the way," Antonetti said. Getting the ball Trade deadline acquisition Foster Griffin was announced as Cleveland's Game 1 starter Monday night (8 p.m.) at Tropicana Field. Griffin, who was an All-Star for the Nationals this year, made a relief appearance in the ALDS, allowing a run on two hits while striking out seven over 2 2/3 innings of a 9-3 Game 3 win Wednesday. It will be his first career postseason start. Contact Chris Assenheimer at (440) 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com. Like him on Facebook and follow him @CAwesomeheimer on X.