You can officially put the ‘Can José Ramírez perform in the playoffs?’ narrative to rest. In case anyone thought his epic performance in Game 3 of the American League Division Series might have been a fluke or one-off, Ramírez delivered another legendary moment during a 9-5 Guardians win Thursday night over the White Sox in Game 4 to force a Game 5 back in Cleveland on Saturday.
Facing flamethrowing right-hander Jordan Hicks with a runner on in the fifth inning, Ramírez belted a go-ahead two-run home run to flip a one-run deficit into a 3-2 lead for the Guardians.
The two-run blast to right-center came on a 99.9 mph four-seam fastball from Hicks, marking the fastest pitch Ramírez has hit for a homer in his career. It was also tied for the fastest pitch a Cleveland player has hit for a home run in the postseason under pitch tracking (since 2008). Ramírez tied Brayan Rocchio, who hit a solo shot off Detroit’s Troy Melton in Game 2 of the AL Wild Card Series last season.
“He’s been doing it for so many years,” Guardians second baseman Travis Bazzana said of Ramírez. “To get postseason moments like that along with what he’s done throughout his career is special. We expect nothing but incredible stuff from him, because that’s just who he is.”
Ramírez’s long ball silenced a raucous Rate Field crowd as it sailed to right field before landing in the Guardians’ bullpen. A collection of Cleveland pitchers jumped up and down with excitement, likely emulating everyone watching back home in Northeast Ohio.
“It was José Ramírez being José Ramírez in the playoffs,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “Hicks with a great fastball, and Josey got to it. To step up, you say, ‘There he goes again.’ Big moment for him. Big moment for us. He doesn't show a lot of emotion, but he was pretty excited tonight.”
After Chicago momentarily regained the lead during a two-run fifth, Ramírez added a run-scoring single during Cleveland’s six-run sixth inning, finishing 2-for-5 with three RBIs.
After doubling and tripling in Game 3, Ramírez homered and singled in Game 4 to become just the fifth player in MLB history to hit for the cycle across two postseason games, joining Stephen Drew (2007), Paul Molitor (1993), Rickey Henderson (1989) and Lou Brock (1968).
The home run was also Ramírez’s 43rd career postseason hit, tying him with Jim Thome for third in Cleveland franchise history.
“It starts with him,” Guardians outfielder Chase DeLauter said of Ramírez. “Whether he’s hot or cold, just having him in the lineup, it’s that presence. He’s a future Hall of Famer. It’s special. When he comes out firing and has that energy and a couple of big swings like that, it just rallies everyone together.”
Ramírez has not been himself offensively this season following June left hamate surgery, so the fact that he’s performing like this only adds to his lore as Cleveland looks to keep its season alive.
In what is now essentially a one-game playoff, any one player is capable of carrying his team to the finish line. When that player is swinging as well as Ramírez is right now, don’t be surprised if he lifts Cleveland on his back come Game 5 at Progressive Field with another legendary performance in front of a crowd that is sure to be rocking.
“I think it's going to be crazy,” Ramírez said. “It's going to be an incredible energy. For us, it's going to be the same mindset: Try to win the game and enjoy the environment that's going to be at Progressive.”