Jose Ramirez may have delivered the swing that saved Cleveland’s season.
In a game that had already started to tilt toward the brink, Ramirez stepped in with the Guardians trailing by a run in the top of the fifth in Game 4 of the ALDS against the Chicago White Sox and changed everything with a two-run homer. Cleveland turned that blast into a 9-5 win, one that kept the series alive and pushed it to a decisive Game 5 at Progressive Field on Saturday.
That’s why former player Jensen Lewis believes it could wind up being the biggest homer of Ramirez’s career.
“That might be the most consequential home run that he hits in his entire career. If they go on to win and punch another ticket to the ALCS, I guarantee you that’ll be a moment he remembers because of the personal adversity he’s had to overcome,” Lewis said.
"That might be the most consequential HR that he hits in his career. If they go on to win and punch another ticket to the ALCS, I guarantee you that'll be a moment Jose Ramirez remembers because of the personal adversity he's had to overcome." #StandGuard
- @JLEWFifty pic.twitter.com/h5DrhMsrUy
- BIGPLAY Cleveland (@BIGPLAYcle) October 9, 2026
The homer carried extra weight because Ramirez is still dealing with pain after hamate bone surgery, and his season at the plate has been a struggle by his standards. September was especially rough, when he hit .198 with a .501 OPS. Then came the first two games of the series, when he went 0-for-6 with three strikeouts as Cleveland lost twice at home and stared at elimination.
Game 3 offered the first signs that the old Ramirez might be surfacing. He doubled, stole third, and then raced home on an infield grounder in the fifth inning. Later, in the eighth, he added a two-run triple during Cleveland’s 9-3 win.
The Guardians didn’t immediately carry that energy into Game 4. They loaded the bases in the top of the first and came away empty, then sent only 10 batters to the plate across the next three innings.
The breakthrough came in the fifth when Patrick Bailey connected on a pinch-hit home run to get Cleveland on the board. Ramirez followed with the go-ahead blast, and from there the Guardians poured it on, scoring six times in the sixth inning before finishing off the 9-5 victory.
Over the span of nine at-bats on Wednesday and Thursday, Ramirez hit for the cycle, becoming just the fifth MLB player to do it across two playoff games. He also scored four runs and drove in five. For maybe the first time this season, he looked like the perennial MVP candidate Cleveland has been waiting for.
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 🡒]
Guardians Suddenly Face A Bullpen Problem In Their Biggest Game Yet
Cade Smiths rough ninth inning in Game 4 gave Cleveland a moment of unease at exactly the wrong time, even if Gavin Williams stepped in to close out the 9-5 win over the Chicago White Sox and send the series to a winner-take-all Game 5. The Guardians have leaned hard on their pitching staff throughout the matchup, and Smith did not hide his frustration after not getting through the inning, though he said he is still ready if called upon again.
Gavin Williams role only underscores how thin the margin has become for Cleveland. He was needed in relief to finish Game 4, and now he is lined up to start Game 5 in less than 48 hours, a reminder of how much the Guardians have asked of their arms just to reach this point. For a team playing its biggest game yet, that kind of workload can turn every inning into a test of depth as much as execution. [Read more 🡒]