José Ramírez’s walk-off showcased how good the Guardians’ lineup can be

José Ramírez doesn’t get many chances to win games anymore. As one of the top sluggers in MLB, every manager in baseball does everything in their power to avoid facing him, whether it be the first inning or the ninth. 

On Wednesday, Blue Jays manager John Schneider didn’t have a choice after catcher Tyler Heineman misplayed a David Fry bunt to load the bases. Two pitches later, the rest of the Guardians were trying to tackle Ramírez after his walk-off hit while the rest of the Blue Jays walked off the field.

José Ramírez’s walk-off showcased how good the Guardians’ lineup can be

After the game, Stephen Vogt spoke for all of Cleveland when asked about Ramírez’s walk-off. 

“Hosey up at the plate at any time is exciting,” he said. “But with bases loaded, nobody out in a walk-off situation, [there’s] no one on the planet I'd rather have hitting -- especially [righty-hitting] Hosey.”

It was all set up by some solid lineup management and a bit of luck. Schneider opened the inning by intentionally walking Steven Kwan to get the left-handed Fluharty to face Kyle Manzardo, but Vogt called on David Fry to pinch-hit. 

He promptly laid down a perfect bunt that was misplayed by catcher Tyler Heineman, which set up Ramírez’s heroics. If Heineman throws Fry out then Ramírez would have gotten an intentional pass and Carlos Santana would have gotten a shot to play hero. But that wasn’t the case. 

“I’ve seen Kwan get plenty of hits so I wanted to get an out there,” Schenider said after the game. 

While Ramírez’s walk-off was a fun celebration, it bookended a strong performance from an offense that’s spent most of the season stuck in neutral. Lane Thomas slugged a home run for the second straight game (welcome back, Nick Sandlin) and they were able to generate three runs off a future Hall-of-Famer in Max Scherzer. 

Kwan set the tone of the first inning with a nine-pitch walk before eventually coming around to score on an RBI single from Ramírez, while Gabriel Arias cranked a two-run double off Scherzer. 

Thomas' home run was also a great sign. He’s been hitting the ball a little better as of late (he’s 5-for-12 over his last three games) and still playing his customary solid defense. When Thomas is good, he’s a weapon against both right-and-left handed pitchers who possess enough power and speed to make an impact.

We just haven’t really gotten a chance to see that this year because of injuries and ineffectiveness. 

The same can be said for Arias, who has cooled off after his strong start to the year. He has a powerful swing that can get a bit long at times, so seeing him stay through the zone in his double against Scherzer was also a great sign. 

The Guardians offense is still a work in progress (and could likely use a trade deadline reinforcement), Wednesday’s was a good reminder of how good Ramírez (and the rest of the Guardians lineup) can be.