The Cleveland Baseball Club clinched a postseason berth Tuesday courtesy of a Jose Ramirez walk-off three-run home run in the 10th.
It couldn’t have been scripted any better. Runners on 1st and 2nd, down 1 in the 10th with 2 outs in a 2-2 count, Jose Ramirez clobbered a walk-off three run home run to secure a 5-3 victory and send the Cleveland Baseball Club back to the postseason after missing the playoffs last season.
This was the only hit of the game for Jose Ramirez, but it came at just the right time. The recent success of Ramirez has put him right in the middle of the American League MVP discussion and it is moments like this which give him a really good case. Right now Jose Ramirez is carrying the Cleveland Baseball Club on his back and this is a hot streak that he is hoping carries into the playoffs. In addition to getting some help from his teammates of course.
Jose Ramirez was not the only player to homer for Cleveland
Cleveland actually struck first in this game, Cesar Hernandez hit a solo shot in the 1st to make it 1-0 early.
Cal Quantrill started for Cleveland and pitched well, allowing 1 hit and 1 walk in 4 innings with 4 strikeouts. Quantrill only needed 38 pitches to get through 4 innings and more could not of be asked of him, especially considering the start on short notice.
Adam Plutko would follow Quantrill and he found himself in trouble early. Chicago loaded the bases with 2 outs in the 5th, but Plutko was able to dance out of trouble thanks to an inning ending double play. Plutko wouldn’t get lucky again as he allowed a game-tying home run to Jose Abreu the following inning. The White Sox would threaten again in the 9th, but nothing came of it.
The game would go to extras and Chicago would put the pressure on Cleveland. Adam Engel tripled home a run and was driven in by Nick Madrigal in the following at-bat.
In the bottom of the inning a near two-run homer from Francisco Lindor would bring Cleveland to within 1. Cesar Hernandez would walk which set up Jose Ramirez for his epic final moment. Now Cleveland is back in the postseason and is looking to make a deeper run that their last two attempts. Perhaps a scorching hot Jose Ramirez can make that happen.
