José Ramírez is counting on Cleveland to bring the noise.
Ahead of Game 5 against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday, 10 October, the Guardians star said he expects Progressive Field to be rocking as Cleveland tries to finish off its comeback and reach the American League Championship Series.
“It's going to be a crazy energy, and we're looking forward to it,” Ramírez said in a statement by the Guardians ahead of the game.
That confidence comes after a rough start to the American League Division Series. Cleveland dropped the first two games and stared at elimination before flipping the script with back-to-back wins.
The Guardians opened the turnaround with a 9-3 victory in Game 3 on Wednesday, 7 October, then followed it up with a 9-5 win in Game 4 on Thursday, 8 October. Ramírez was central to both rallies, delivering a two-run triple in Game 3 and then launching a two-run home run in Game 4.
Now the series is tied at 2-2, and everything comes down to Saturday night in Cleveland.
The White Sox had taken the first two games and were one win from advancing, but the Guardians clawed their way back to force a decisive Game 5 at Progressive Field. The winner moves on to face the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALCS, with a spot in the World Series still in play.
For Cleveland, the home crowd could be the difference. Ramírez made it clear the Guardians are looking to feed off that atmosphere as they try to finish the job and keep their season alive.
In Other News...
Guardians Face A Costly ALDS Dilemma Beyond Just The Rotation
The Guardians ALDS picture has plenty of moving parts, and the biggest ones are not limited to who starts which game. As the series has unfolded, the club has had to think through roster balance, how much pitching it wants to carry, and how the front office and players are viewing the broader landscape around MLBPA contract talks. It is the kind of October problem that goes beyond a single matchup and forces a team to weigh short-term survival against longer-term flexibility.
Gavin Williams added another layer to that conversation with a new role in Game 4, since his first big league relief outing also marked his first time pitching out of the bullpen since college. Cleveland is trying to manage the present while leaving enough options open for what comes next, including the possibility of deeper October decisions if the run continues. And with future labor questions looming in the background, the Guardians are dealing with more than just the usual postseason chess match. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Suddenly Look Dangerous Thanks To One Deadline Gamble
Clevelands offense has gone from quiet to relentless at exactly the right time, and the sudden surge has the Guardians sitting one win from the ALCS after taking Games 3 and 4 from the White Sox. Both of those victories came with nine runs on the board, a striking answer from a club that had been searching for the kind of timely thump that changes a postseason series in a hurry.
Jo Adell, brought in as a recent deadline addition, has been right in the middle of it, giving Cleveland a jolt that has changed the feel of the lineup over just two games. His arrival now looks like the kind of move that can reshape October, and the Guardians will carry that new edge into the next game with a chance to finish the job. [Read more 🡒]
Jose Ramirez May Have Just Saved Cleveland At The Perfect Time
Jose Ramirez has spent much of the season searching for the version of himself Cleveland has leaned on for years, and in Game 4 of the ALDS he finally gave the Guardians a reminder of why he matters so much in October. After working through pain since hamate bone surgery and enduring a difficult offensive stretch, Ramirez kept showing signs of life across the first two playoff games and then added another jolt in a 9-5 win over the White Sox.
The biggest swing came in the fifth inning, when his two-run homer flipped the game and helped Cleveland protect its season for at least one more night. With the series now headed to a decisive Game 5 at Progressive Field, the Guardians suddenly have reason to believe Ramirez may be heating up at exactly the right time, and that changes the feel of everything around them. [Read more 🡒]