DETROIT -- A smattering of boos echoed across Comerica Park in the seventh inning on Thursday, when José Ramírez stepped to the plate with a runner on first in a 1-1 game. The Guardians’ third baseman later said he didn’t even notice that noise.
After the baseball Ramírez launched landed in right-field seats, murmurs overtook the ballpark, and the uneasiness permeating the stands was perhaps a perfect microcosm for an American League Central race that suddenly looks like it will go down to the wire.
Ramírez’s go-ahead two-run homer off Troy Melton in the seventh on Thursday sparked the Guardians to a 3-1 win over the Tigers to complete a three-game sweep of the division leaders. It came after Tanner Bibee went toe-to-toe with AL Cy Young Award favorite Tarik Skubal to help Cleveland (which has won a season-high seven straight games) improve to 81-71.
The Guardians now sit just 3 1/2 games behind Detroit (85-68) for first place in the division. They are just 1 1/2 games behind Boston (83-70) for the final AL Wild Card spot.
“We’ve got to keep the mindset we’ve had for the past two months,” Ramírez said through team interpreter Agustin Rivero. “Give our best, and see what happens at the end, and obviously keep grinding and see what happens at the end of the regular season.”
Euphoria filled the Guardians' first-base dugout after Ramírez hit a 1-0 cutter from Melton a Statcast-projected 368 feet. It likely was only a taste of what fans are feeling back home. This season has put the Cleveland faithful on an emotional roller coaster ride.
The Guardians being in this position seemed unfathomable two months ago. The Tigers led them by 13 1/2 games in the division after completing a three-game sweep in Cleveland on July 4-6 -- which extended the Guardians’ losing streak to 10. Detroit’s lead was as high as 15 1/2 games on July 8.
The Guardians posted a 23-9 burst from July 7-Aug. 14. They followed that with a 1-9 stretch from Aug. 15-25. They are 17-5 since. Suddenly, the three-game series between these two teams at Progressive Field next Tuesday-Thursday could make or break either club’s postseason hopes.
“We know we have to take this one day at a time,” manager Stephen Vogt said. “But this group of guys, through everything they've been through, they have not lost the faith that we are a very good team and we can do this.
“They've stuck together, they believe in each other and they show up every day ready to win.”
They’ve gotten this far amid a 13-4 start to September that includes wins in 12 of their past 13 games, a stretch backed by dominant starting pitching that leads MLB with a 2.26 ERA this month.
Bibee allowed one run on four hits and two walks with eight strikeouts over six innings. He matched Skubal (six innings, seven hits, one run) pitch-for-pitch.
“That’s what big-time pitchers do -- they step up when they have to,” Vogt said of Bibee.
Bibee entered the day with a 4.44 ERA, but he has a 3.18 ERA over his past five starts. He attributed at least some of that to a conversation he had with fellow starter Joey Cantillo. Bibee asked Cantillo what made the difference for him after the lefty tossed eight scoreless innings vs. the Royals on Sept. 9. Cantillo said he was throwing “[expletive]-you fastballs.” Bibee has followed suit.
What’s the difference between that and a normal fastball?
“The mentality behind it, man,” Bibee said. “I feel like sometimes you throw a heater and you're like, ‘Oh, I don't want this to get hit.’ But when you throw a [expletive]-you fastball, it's like, ‘Hit it, I dare you.’”
The Tigers hit .143 against Bibee’s four-seamer on Thursday.
Cleveland’s contributions have seemed to come from everywhere lately. Kolby Allard (whose last appearance was Sept. 4) tossed a scoreless eighth inning.
Tim Herrin (who entered the day with a 4.81 ERA) delivered his third scoreless appearance this series in the seventh.
Jhonkensy Noel (who entered with a .424 OPS in 61 games) hit a no-doubt game-tying solo homer off Skubal in the fourth. Ramírez said that Noel predicted pregame he would go deep.
“It’s just how we’re rolling,” said Noel through Rivero of his bold declaration. “That confidence is overflowing, and when we got to the ballpark, I felt that I needed to [predict it].”
The job is not finished, but the Guardians are giving their fan base a reason to believe with 10 games remaining in the regular season.
“[Belief is] a very real thing,” Bibee said. “But at the same time, for us to get close, we still have to go out and win baseball games.”