This one was all Jose Ramirez.
Even by his lofty standards, Ramirez had a career night in Thursday’s 10-3 win by the Cleveland Guardians over the Boston Red Sox (31-32) at Progressive Field.
He just about single-handedly took down the Red Sox, as he slugged three home runs and made perhaps the Guardians’ defensive highlight of the year to date.
Jose Ramirez’s 3-homer night: VIDEO: Jose Ramirez has a 3-home run night and one of the best defensive plays of 2023
It was Ramirez’s first career three-homer game, and the first for the Guardians (29-32) since Edwin Encarnacion on May 2, 2018.
His second homer of the night was his 200th, which tied him for ninth place on the Guardians’ all-time list with Travis Hafner.
And in the sixth, Ramirez ranged to his right and while falling way from first base made a tremendous throw to rob Justin Turner of a hit.
The Guardians won by seven runs, but this win can be credited to one player.
Two-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber tagged for 7 runs
Absorbing a lot of the damage for Boston on Thursday was Cleveland’s former ace, Corey Kluber. The two-time Cy Young Award winner in Cleveland gave up eight straight hits in the sixth, including Ramirez’s third homer of the game.
In all, he worked 3.1 innings out of the bullpen and gave up 11 hits and seven runs (all earned). It left his season ERA at 7.13.
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The three-homer game is Ramirez’s 21st of his career with Cleveland. That puts him among exclusive company in club history.
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26 – Jim Thome
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26 – Albert Belle
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25 – Hal Trosky
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22 – Manny Ramirez
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21 – Joe Carter
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21 – Jose Ramirez
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Jose Ramirez has Guardians’ first 3-homer game in 5 years in win