All it took for Jose Ramirez to break out of a rare slump was some home cooking.
The Cleveland Guardians third baseman set the franchise record with his 27th career multi-homer game, highlighted by the go-ahead solo shot in the eighth inning, in a 4-3 win over the visiting Miami Marlins on Tuesday.
The Guardians enjoyed a great start to a six-game homestand that continues Wednesday when Cleveland right-hander Gavin Williams (7-4, 3.17 ERA) takes on Miami right-hander Eury Perez (4-3, 3.25).
"That's just Josey doing Josey things," Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said, chuckling. "It always feels like he's going to deliver when he's coming up late. I'm just really happy for Josey. He's one of the best hitters in the game, and you can't make a mistake."
In the previous six games, Ramirez batted .080 and did not drive in a run over 25 at-bats on a road trip against the New York Mets and Chicago White Sox.
The seven-time American League All-Star needed only four pitches against Miami to get back on track, launching a 381-foot homer off Janson Junk in the first inning. He then took Calvin Faucher deep for the game-winner on a cutter with one out in the eighth.
"At this point in my career, I don't think I really get nervous for any reason," Ramirez said through an interpreter. "I just look to get the right swing. It's not an easy thing to do, but the most important thing is we got the win."
Thanks to Ramirez's heroics, Cleveland remained one game behind the New York Yankees for the final AL wild-card position.
The Guardians are 10-2 since July 29 while riding the hot bat of cleanup hitter Kyle Manzardo, who is batting .382 with five homers and 10 RBIs during the surge. Ramirez and Manzardo went back-to-back against Junk.
"I feel the key to our recent success is the way he's swinging the bat, and I'm very happy for him," Ramirez said.
Williams has only allowed four runs over his past four starts, going 2-0 with a 1.30 ERA in that span. Known as the "Big Rig," he carries a 2-7 record and 4.91 ERA in 14 career interleague outings into his first appearance against Miami.
Perez gave up a season-high five runs in 5 1/3 innings while not figuring in the decision against the host Atlanta Braves on Thursday. He has never pitched against the Guardians, but he is a sparkling 6-0 with a 0.90 ERA in nine career interleague starts.
The Marlins have lost seven of nine games immediately after winning five in a row. Over the past nine games, the Miami pitching staff has a 6.39 ERA.
"It still comes down that you've got to pitch at a very high level to win," Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said. "It takes everyone."
Miami rookie outfielder/designated hitter Heriberto Hernandez continues to take advantage of his playing time, hitting .333 with two home runs and seven RBIs in his past seven games. A run-scoring double in the fifth inning at Cleveland gave him a .563 average (9-for-16) in that frame this year.
Fellow rookie outfielder Jakob Marsee is raking as well with a .382 average and five stolen bases in 12 games since making his major league debut on Aug. 1.
"We told the guys in spring training that we weren't going to worry about outside noise, we're just going to go out there and work every day," McCullough said. "We're going to play the game as hard as we can and hope it's good enough to win."
--Field Level Media
