‘He’s our MVP’: J-Ram belts decisive G1 blast

CLEVELAND – – The serenades were clearly to the point that they were reverberating through Moderate Field. There was a delay in the activity on the field for a replay survey. José Ramírez had nothing else to zero in on than the 30,741 fans singing his name to a tune he’s heard on many times in this ballpark.

Ramírez had just returned to the dugout after giving his team a lead with a two-run home run off Rays ace left-hander Shane McClanahan that eventually lifted the Guardians to a 2-1 victory in Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series on Friday afternoon. The crowd was relentless, showing its appreciation for the one hitter who’s been consistently keeping Cleveland competitive over the last few seasons. Ramírez couldn’t help but take a step out of the dugout to wave to the fans.

• AL Wild Card Game 2, pres. by Hankook Tire: Today, noon ET on ESPN2

“It makes me feel very good when I get that recognition,” Ramírez said through team interpreter Agustin Rivero, “and I feel these are the best fans in the world, so it’s really happy for me to get that ovation.”

It’s implied that this success was basic for Cleveland in a three-game series, yet the numbers make sense of why. MLB has just a restricted history of three-game season finisher series, however the extended postseason in 2020 gave us eight Special case series that were best of three. Six of the eight groups that dominated Match 1 in those series progressed. Every one of the six of those were two-game breadths. Notwithstanding, the two groups that leveled things up in Game 2 (A’s versus White Sox, Padres versus Cardinals) then, at that point, dominated Match 3 also. Assuming you include four past best-of-three sudden death round series that concluded NL flags between 1946-62, then, at that point, the Game 1 champ improves to 10-2 all-time in that configuration.

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With a deeper look at three-game series throughout the regular season this year among the Majors, 78% were won by the Game 1 winner, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

In the standard season, Ramírez drove his group in homers (29), RBIs (126), runs scored (90), slugging rate (.514), Operations (.869), copies (44) and games played (157) preceding remaining before the group at the top step of the third-base burrow with his arms over his head, waving to reciting fans for being the legend in Game 1 of the Special case Series. This is the explanation the Watchmen were unyielding about inking him to a drawn out bargain coming into the year.

“There’s a lot of guys that made some names for themselves this year, which is awesome,” catcher Austin Hedges said. “But it’s clear as day who the MVP of this team is.”

Guardians manager Terry Francona always says that he knows some of his top hitters are at their best when they’re taking the ball the other way. Ramírez started going the other way during his four-hit performance in Game 162 on Wednesday, and the momentum spilled into Friday. Batting right-handed, Ramírez sent his homer over the right-center-field wall in the sixth before serving a single into right field in the eighth. The blast marked his eighth non-pull home run from the right side in his career and the first since April 13 of this season.

Ramírez was prepared for the changeup from McClanahan. It’s been McClanahan’s best pitch the entire season, having surrendered only one homer on the contribution while holding hitters to a system .145 normal against it. Ramírez had fouled off the changeup two times in his first at-bat in the main inning prior to establishing out on it in the fourth.

“Yeah, that was my plan, just look for that changeup.” Ramírez said. “He got me twice with the same pitch, because it’s a really good pitch. It really resembles a fastball. So I was just sitting on that pitch and I was just trying not to do too much, just put it on the opposing side of the field, and I was able to get good contact on that.”

Before he got his home run pitch, Ramírez took a high-and-outside changeup for a borderline strike. When it was left up again two pitches later, Ramírez didn’t miss his opportunity.

“He’s such a good hitter, you’re not going to fool him with a bad pitch again in the same spot,” McClanahan said.

The Guardians will look to lock up their first postseason series win since 2016 on Saturday. And if Ramírez can continue this hot stretch, the team’s odds of advancing can only increase.

Before he got his homer pitch, Ramírez took a high-and-outside changeup for a marginal strike. At the point when it was left up again two pitches later, Ramírez didn’t botch his chance.