Jose Knocks in 1,000 as the Guardians Keep Winning

· Yahoo Sports

CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 18: José Ramírez #11 of the Cleveland Guardians watches a solo home run clear the right-field fence during the sixth inning against the Athletics for his 1,000th career RBI at Progressive Field on September 18, 2026, in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Going into the final home series of the regular season (and possibly last before an Endless pit of Baseball Despair, aka, the Lockout), the Cleveland Guardians own a share of 1st place in the American League Central. For all of the whining, dooming, panicking and flat out freaking out that many fans (read: not me, definitely not me) have been up to since Memorial Day, October baseball is completely up to them with 9 games to play. The 2 (Bye), 3 (Home for Wild Card) and 6 (still a Playoff spot!) seeds are all still up for grabs.

The Goal is simple: have a better final 9 games than the Chicago White Sox. Anything else and you’re out of control.

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The path to reaching that goal started Friday night, when the Guardians welcome the A’s to town. The athletes formerly known as the Oakland Athletics have been stumbling down the standings for quite some time. They were 13-44 from June 27th-September 1st, reaching Dead Last in the American League. They did however turn the corner recently, going 8-6 since.

So. With the Final Stretch finally here, how would the Guardians attack?

Before we get into the game, let me just say this: I am so happy for Daniel Espino. He has come so far and has already accomplished what almost everyone in his position never could. In 2022, he was the top pitching prospect in the system and pushing for top pitching prospect in all of baseball. He was rising through the ranks faster than the team could ever imagine, and on pace to be our Ace in a year or two. I spoke to an Umpire that summer who was behind home plate for one of his early starts at Akron; he said that Daniel had the best arm he had ever seen. We’re talking legendary talent in a 21 year old’s body. Scary mix.

You all know the story by now. Injury knocks him out of 2022, then another for 2023. Before the 2024 season, his goal was to just take the mound in a live game at some point. And of course, he has another setback in that shoulder, one that will cost him all of 2024 and possibly 2025. If that wasn’t enough, his Father passed after a long battle with Prostate cancer. That much time away from the game, that much misery and sorrow and I can’t even imagine what weighing on your shoulders, would make most men quit. And yet, he battles back to the mound for one appearance before the end of the 2025 season in Columbus. Now, with Cleveland he’s starting (opening?) on a Friday night with the division and October life on the line. Even just throwing one pitch means he’s made it.

**Side Note. I HATE hate, hate hate-hate hAtE (hate) hatehate hater Hate, HATE talking about a series and saying we need to or we should sweep before it even begins. Almost every time, it starts with an absolute disaster, and this was no exception***

Daniel Espino would take the mound first and was shaky to say the least. He would walk the leadoff and 3 hole hitters on 7 pitches each with a 3 pitch K sandwiched in between. That umpire I was speaking about earlier? Well he has a brother who is a semi-professional wrestler. He once told me that walks are like lost dogs- they always find their way home. I found that so so accurate for our relievers this season, and while Espino wasn’t in relief tonight, his appearance was clearly more Reliever-like than Starter-like… Well, those walks DID find their way home, on a Homerun to the very next batter. Suddenly, the Guardians were down 3-0 just 4 batters into a series they “need to sweep”.

I’M NOT PANICKING. I DON’T FREAK OUT.

The good news is that the Guardians get to bat. That is good news, right? The bottom of the 1st looked strikingly similar to the top half, as Kwan and DeLauter walked their way on for Adell. The Jo Show would bang a single into Left, but unfortunately Travis Bazzana, he who hath been hotter than hot, hit a tailor made double play and the A’s were let off the hook. The Guards would threaten again, loading the bases in the 2nd, but Jose struck out, leaving them loses for the 2nd straight inning. Don’t ya just hate it when your good players don’t come thru and they don’t get a shot at redemption?!? More on THAT in a minute.

Playing from behind again, the Guardians would try “bulk inning Joey” for the second straight “start”. And while they haven’t been able to figure out the pitching ahead of him, Cantillo off the bench has been a revelation! After going 4 shutout innings at Minnesota last weekend, he would deliver 6 shutout tonight! In Aloha Joe’s 2 relief appearances this past week, he went 10 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 13 K and 0 total runs. I don’t know how sustainable this is- but you absolutely have to ride this for as long as you can. Figure out the first 2 innings, left Joey rip and hopefully that goes right into Cade.

But Jake! They need runs!

Oh right, about that. Well unfortunately the Guards are the kind of team this year that misses an early opportunity and packs it in- never to be heard from again… said NO ONE EVER (me, in June, July and most of August. I might have said that maybe once). When that calendar flips to September, Steven Vogt has the guys playing all the way thru that final out.

The Guards wouldn’t need that final out. In the 4th inning they finally brought those guys in, with the bottom of the lineup knocking three straight hits, including a 2 run single from Mr. September himself, Brayan “Playoff Rocchio” Rocchtember/tober (name is a work in progress, unlike his performance this month).

Two batters later, Jose Ramirez would get that redemption hit and knock in his 999th career RBI, tying the game at 3 (Terrible number but one day he’ll get to 1,000).

These guys are just so damn fun now. As much love as Halpin got this week, Rocchio gets this month, Chase has gotten this year, one guy who has been so damn hot is Travis Bazzana. The former number 1 overall pick, the guy who people were writing a career obituary for, has been scorching the ball. Travis left tonight with a 1.259 OPS(!) in September, including 6 homeruns. The most recent one broke the 3-3 tie to put the Guardians on top for good. The Thunder Down Under does it again!

And what’s one more for good measure? Jose has had such a rough year, but he might be on to something recently. Battling this hamate recovery, he finally broke thru the other day with two laser beam doubles (both hits over 100 MPH exit velo) and then today with a hard hit RBI single and a 102 MPH Homer that went 400 feet into the Cleveland sky.

The crowd was rockin. The boys were buzzing. The fireworks were warming up (no, that can’t be right, that sounds dangerous). Cantillo sat ‘em down all night long and Cade came in and did what he does. 1-2-3, Guardians back alone in 1st place.

It started ugly- but the guys who don’t quit stayed calm and eventually delivered a stress free, fun Friday night City Connect (last one of the season) 5-3 Victory! 1 down, 8 left!

Stepping out for a second, I need to say one thing. To any A’s fans that may be reading this… FJF. A close family friend of mine knows him personally and assured me that if you think he’s a spoiled rich kid who has no heart or allegiance or sense of pride, well, you’d be right. Shame on him for moving the A’s out of Oakland. He has no right. And while it probably means very little to you, this Cleveland Browns fan and supporter of all things “small market” stands with you.

The Guardians take on the A’s again Saturday night at 6:10 PM, when Tanner Bibee takes on LHP Jacob Lopez (5.1 IP, 8 H, 6 ER on 5/2 vs CLE) for Game 2 of the series.

Just keep winning, just keep winning.

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