3 homer night from Jose Ramirez is exactly what Guardians needed

Following their disappointing performance against the San Diego Padres earlier this week, the Cleveland Guardians found themselves needing someone to wake their offense up. After a much-needed rest day on Thursday, it was none other than Jose Ramirez who was able to put a jolt into an offense that underperformed in their previous series.

Ramirez would homer not once, not twice, but thrice in Cleveland's 8-6 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night. These were the second, third, and fourth home runs of the season, and they could not have come at a better time. Ramirez's contributions at the plate helped the Guardians establish a lead early on, coming back from a mid-game deficit and building a buffer late in the game, which helped secure Cleveland's first win since last Sunday.

What Ramirez was able to accomplish in Friday's contest is exactly what is expected of someone who is the face of the franchise. Having been outscored 19-4 against San Diego, the Guardians needed Ramirez to get them out of their offensive funk. Ramirez delivered and then some, providing some optimism about how the rest of the series and beyond could play out for Cleveland.

If the Guardians are going to contend in 2025, Ramirez must perform at his absolute best, and his 8-21 batting line, including four homers and two doubles in six games played, shows that he is already firing on all cylinders. Ramirez maintaining a high level of production at the plate is going to make everyone else's jobs easier, and it should result in the complementary bats in the lineup also being able to do their fair share of damage.

Now 3-4 on the season, the Guardians are tied with the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals for first place in the American League Central division entering play on Saturday. Keeping pace early with the other teams considered to be contenders in the AL Central is an absolute must for the Guardians. A division cannot be won this. early in the season, but it can be lost if a team digs a big enough hole, and that is something the Guardians are looking to avoid.