Cleveland’s offense has gone cold at exactly the wrong time, and the Guardians are running out of room to wait on José Ramírez to wake it back up.
After a 3-1 loss in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series, the team’s bats were again the main talking point on the Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast. The run total tells the story: 10 runs in the first three ALCS games, then just four over the last two. That slide has come with the pennant in sight and home games in the rearview mirror.
Paul Hoynes, who covers the Guardians for cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer, was blunt when asked whether Cleveland could pull off back-to-back road wins without Ramírez delivering something huge.
“I doubt it, I really do,” Hoynes said. “They need the guy that showed up against the White Sox and the ALDS.
They need that guy. Give him credit.
He’s been getting hits here and there, singles here and there. But they need a big hit.
They need a hit with runners in scoring position.”
That’s the version of Ramírez Cleveland has been hunting for - the one who tore through the White Sox, then carried the lineup during the division series and looked like a superstar under the biggest spotlight. That version hasn’t arrived lately, and the Guardians may need it now more than ever with two elimination games ahead in Tampa Bay.
Game 5 also belonged to Drew Rasmussen, who gave Tampa Bay exactly what it needed. The right-hander allowed one run in four innings, struck out six and didn’t surrender an extra-base hit. For Cleveland’s hitters, the at-bats felt cramped from the start.
Patrick Bailey summed it up this way: “You kind of end up looking back at the game and you’re like, wow, I got one pitch to hit, I got two pitches to hit, two pitches to hit in what, four bats?”
Steven Kwan, who knows Rasmussen from their Oregon State days, said the difference from Game 1 to Game 5 was an improved changeup. Host Joe Noga also noted the broader challenge Tampa Bay presents: a lineup designed to grind through counts, wear down starters and then do damage the second and third time through the order.
Cleveland, meanwhile, hasn’t exactly hidden its cards. Hoynes said the Rays know what they’re seeing every night.
“They’re going with the same lineup game in and game out,” he said. “And so, you know, there’s, there’s not too many mysteries there for the raised pitching staff. They know how to go after these guys.”
There have been a couple of bright spots. Chase DeLauter is now tied with Brayan Rocchio as the franchise’s rookie leader in hits in a single postseason. Ramírez also pushed his postseason on-base streak to 17 straight games, tying a franchise record.
But those are side notes next to what Cleveland actually needs. Singles and streaks aren’t enough here. The Guardians need a moment that changes the game - a two-run double, a go-ahead homer, something loud enough to flip the series in an instant.
“If you don’t hit right away, you’re kind of cooked,” Hoynes said.
That’s where Cleveland stands now: waiting on one big swing, and hoping Ramírez - or somebody else - can still deliver it.
In Other News...
Guardians Just Got An Added Insult Before Elimination Game In Tampa
The Guardians head to Tampa facing elimination after the Rays grabbed a 3-2 lead in the American League Championship Series with a 3-1 win in Game 5. For Cleveland, the margin for error is gone, and the next stop at Tropicana Field carries all the weight that comes with a season hanging in the balance.
Yandy Daz added to the mood around the series by sounding confident the Rays will finish the job in Game 6 on their home field, while also singling out Drew Rasmussen for the quality of his pitching in this matchup. Cleveland now has to answer not just Tampa Bays momentum, but the confidence the Rays are carrying into a potential clincher. [Read more 🡒]
Stephen Vogt Just Raised The Stakes With Cleveland's Game 6 Plan
The Guardians are choosing patience over urgency as the ALCS shifts back into a critical Game 6, with Stephen Vogt saying Gavin Williams will not take the ball on short rest. Williams last worked in Game 3, and Cleveland is keeping him lined up for a potential Game 7 on regular rest instead of pushing him into a role that could compromise what comes next.
So Game 6 becomes a different kind of test for Clevelands pitching staff, one that will lean on Tanner Bibee and a collection of bullpen arms to get through the night. Its the kind of decision that speaks to how tightly the series is being managed, with the Guardians trying to balance the immediate pressure of elimination against the possibility of needing their best arm one more time. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Turn To An Unexpected Arm In Must Win Game 6
The Guardians are making a pivot in a do-or-die moment, handing the Game 6 opener role to right-hander Shawn Armstrong as they try to keep their season alive. Cleveland has already seen what a steady postseason arm can do from the other side, with Rays starter Drew Rasmussen following up a strong run with another dominant Game 5 outing, while the Guardians are still trying to settle the top of their pitching plan after rookie Parker Messick struggled in his recent start.
Freddy Peralta is lined up to start Game 6 for Tampa Bay, adding another layer to a matchup that has tilted toward the Rays pitching depth. For Cleveland, the decision to turn to Armstrong is a clear sign of how tight the margin is now, and how much the Guardians are leaning on flexibility rather than a more traditional formula as they face one last chance to force the series on. [Read more 🡒]