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Smoked sausage: José Ramírez, David Fry homer as Guardians rally for 3-2 win against Twins
Updated: May. 17, 2024, 10:55 p.m.|Published: May. 17, 2024, 9:44 p.m.
By Joe Noga, cleveland.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Forget about Minnesota’s vacuum-sealed rally sausage. The Guardians prefer theirs smoked and deep Fry’d.
David Fry put Cleveland in front with a two-run blast Friday, and after the Twins tied things up in the eighth, José Ramírez smoked a solo shot off Minnesota closer Jhoan Durán for a 3-2 win at Progressive Field.
It was Ramírez’s 10th home run of the season and 226th of his career, tying him with Earl Averill for fourth on Cleveland’s all-time franchise list. It was also Ramírez’s 39th go-ahead RBI since the start of 2022, the most in the American League and extended his club record with 87 career go-ahead home runs.
The home run gave the Guardians a 3-0 start to their season series against Minnesota and kept them in first place in the American League Central Division with a 1 1/2 game lead over the Royals and 3 1/2 games over the Twins.
Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said he is running out of ways to describe what Ramírez’s contributions mean to the team.
“He’s up there against one of the best closers in the game and has a great at-bat and gets a curve ball up in the zone and just puts us on his shoulders,” Vogt said. “He and Josh (Naylor) have been so big for us in these moments, and I keep saying I can’t be shocked at this point. But it’s still just so fun to watch.”
Ramírez’s blast came after Andrés Giménez was ruled out on a stolen base attempt following a challenge by Twins manager Rocco Baldelli. Fry said at that point he turned to bench coach Craig Albernaz and knew what was coming.
“I said, ‘I really like Minnesota, exhaling like, okay, nobody’s on base now ... into a Josey homer,’ and then two pitches later he did,” Fry said. “Whenever he’s up, we kind of expect it at this point.”
Triston McKenzie tossed 6 2/3 brilliant innings, allowing only a solo home run to open the third, but did not factor in the decision. Tim Herrin (2-0), who surrendered the tying run in the eighth, picked up his second win, and Emmanuel Clase tossed a scoreless ninth for his league-leading 13th save.
Fry launched a two-run home run off Twins lefty Steven Okert in the sixth inning to erase a one-run deficit and give Cleveland a 2-1 lead. But pinch hitter Kyle Farmer’s two-out RBI single off Herrin in the eighth evened the score at 2.
Cleveland pulled ahead in the sixth after a strange sequence that saw them successfully challenge a play based on Major League Baseball’s relatively new shift rule.
Andrés Giménez opened the frame with an infield single against Twins starter Simeon Woods Richardson. Ramírez followed by grounding into a fielders choice with Minnesota shortstop Carlos Correa throwing to first, and Giménez advancing to second.
But Vogt challenged that Correa had violated the shift rule on the play, meaning he was on the wrong side of the second base bag when the ball was pitched. Vogt’s challenge was successful, sending Gimenez back to first and Ramírez back to the box with a 2-2 count.
It was the first shift violation in the majors this season after the rule was adopted last year. In 2023, only four violations were called during the entire season, none involving Minnesota or Cleveland.
Ramírez ultimately struck out on a slider in the dirt from Woods Richardson, but Giménez stole second on the play and advanced to third on a throwing error by Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers.
Minnesota brought in lefty Steven Okert to face Josh Naylor, and with the Minnesota infield playing in, Naylor sent a smash to Edouard Julien who threw home to retire a sliding Giménez.
But after working ahead in the count with two sliders to Fry, Okert left a pitch low and over the middle of the plate that Fry drilled to the home run porch in left for his fourth of the season.
Fry finished with three hits on the night after entering the contest batting .344 in his last 12 games and .379 against lefties on the season.
Vogt said Fry has had great at-bats against righties and lefties all year and has done a great job in a limited role.
“When he gets the opportunities he’s coming through, and so many times it’s refreshing to see that with a player who’s playing time is limited,” Vogt said. “He’s earning himself more, and I couldn’t be more proud of the way he’s been playing.
Cleveland struggled to get any offense going against Woods Richardson early, despite hitting the ball hard on several occasions. Fry lined a ball back to the mound that nearly took Woods Richardson’s glove off for an infield single in the second. In the fifth, Tyler Freeman hit Woods Richardson’s glove in nearly the same spot, but this time the pitcher recovered and threw Freeman out at first.
The Guardians stranded a pair of runners in the fourth. After Josh Naylor was hit by a pitch, Fry singled and Naylor moved to third on a fly ball to deep center. But Ramón Laureano lined out to center on the second pitch he saw to end the inning.
Alex Kirilloff’s leadoff home run against McKenzie in the third snapped a 28-inning scoreless streak for the Twins. Prior to Kirilloff’s blast, the last Twins home run came off the bat of Ryan Jeffers in the first inning Tuesday against the Yankees.
McKenzie kept the Twins off the scoreboard in the first two innings thanks to some nice defense. Freeman made a sensational diving catch of a line drive by Julien in left center to open the game, and Ramírez started a pair of double plays with some nifty glove work at third.
McKenzie faced one batter over the minimum through five innings after Bo Naylor caught Kirilloff straying too far off the bag on a ball in the dirt. Naylor fired down to his brother, Josh, who tagged Kirilloff before he could get his hand back to the bag, ending the fifth.
Vogt said McKenzie relied on his defense after not starting the game as sharp as he would like, but made pitches when he needed to and locked things in for the last few frames.
“Triston getting us just about to the eighth inning was an outstanding job by him today,” Vogt said. “He just continues to get better and better each time out.”
Next:
The series continues Saturday with a 6:05 p.m. first pitch from Progressive Field. Left-hander Logan Allen (4-2, 5.56) will start for Cleveland while the Twins send righty Bailey Ober (4-1, 3.77) to the mound. Bally Sports Great Lakes, WTAM 1100 AM, WMMS 100.7 FM, WARF 1350 (Spanish) and the Guardians Radio Network will carry the game.
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Guardians injury updates on Steven Kwan, Gavin Williams and James Karinchak
Updated: May. 17, 2024, 7:09 p.m.|Published: May. 17, 2024, 5:28 p.m.
By Joe Noga, cleveland.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Guardians Gold Glove left fielder Steven Kwan took a step toward returning to the field Friday when he participated in batting practice for the first time since injuring his left hamstring in a game May 4.
Kwan, on the 10-day injured list after an MRI revealed an acute strain, was projected to return after four weeks. Manager Stephen Vogt did not indicate that Friday’s batting practice round would necessarily alter that projection.
“He’s progressing well,” Vogt said. “We still don’t have a timetable, but the fact that he’s already back to baseball activity is a good sign.”
Kwan feels good and has been running relatively pain-free, Vogt said.
“He’s on a good track,” Vogt said. “They’ve got a progression that’s mapped out. Obviously that’ll get him ready to go play and then we’ll know more from there.”
Williams throwing bullpens
Right-hander Gavin Williams threw a bullpen session Friday at Progressive Field after throwing a 50-pitch session on Tuesday in Texas.
“He’s building up, progressing really well and feeling good,” Vogt said.
Williams suffered an elbow strain in mid-March and aggravated the injury in April, requiring an anti-inflammatory injection.
Karinchak back to Arizona
Reliever James Karinchak, recovering from a shoulder strain that has sidelined him since early in spring training, is back in Arizona to continue his throwing program.
Karinchak visited Cleveland during the Guardians’ last homestand to be observed by trainers and staff as he began to ramp up. Vogt said the right-hander threw a few bullpens before heading back to continue building up at the club’s training complex in Goodyear.
“He’s feeling strong, looking good,” Vogt said.
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For nearly two weeks, the Cleveland Guardians have been without one of their cornerstone players, both defensively and offensively.
Back on May 6, the team announced that left fielder Steven Kwan was placed on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to May 5) with a left hamstring strain.
But on Friday night, Cleveland saw the two-time reigning American League Gold Glove Award winner make an important stride in his road to recovery.
Kwan was spotted taking pregame batting practice at Progressive Field before the Guardians’ game against the Minnesota Twins. This was his first time taking pregame batting practice since he was placed on the injured list.
The 26-year-old is off to an impressive start at the plate so far this year. Through his first 32 games, he ranks qualified MLB hitters in batting average (.353, third) and on-base percentage (.407, sixth).
Kwan has also recorded team-bests of 47 hits and 28 runs, while tallying six doubles, two triples, three home runs, 11 RBI, 11 walks, three stolen bases, and a .903 OPS. He has also struck out just 11 times.
Last month, Kwan also became the first Cleveland player with six-or-more games of three-or-more hits in the first 21 team games of a season since Hall-of-Famer Lou Boudreau in 1948.
Cleveland has gone 6-5 in his absence, taking the last of a three-game set against the Los Angeles Angels, two of three games against the Detroit Tigers, and going a combined 3-4 in a seven-game road trip against the Chicago White Sox and Texas Rangers.
With this latest development in his recovery process, the Guardians are now one step closer to getting their mainstay leadoff hitter and left fielder back in the lineup.
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Guardians players on new City Connect uniforms: ‘They’re dope’
The Guardians debuted their new Nike City Connect uniforms on Friday with players taking the field for the first time in the new blue jerseys and sandstone off-white pants.
Josh Naylor, who immediately began lobbying to wear the new uniforms for every home game once he saw them in spring training, pointed out elements of the new threads that he liked in particular.
“I think the striping, the piping on the side, and the pants are dope,” Naylor said. “The socks came out really nice.”
Naylor, who wears his socks high to represent his father who always wore them that way when he played, said he would put Cleveland’s version of the City Connect up against any in baseball.
“I think they’re one of the better ones in the league,” Naylor said. “I would like to wear ‘em every home game. I don’t know if that’s allowed or not, but I think it’s really cool. They’re up there with the best of the best. They did an incredible job with ‘em.”
Manager Stephen Vogt gave the uniforms his seal of approval with a brief assessment at the end of his pregame media session.
“The new uniforms are sick,” Vogt said as he walked off the podium.
The new uniforms will be worn during every Friday home game for the remainder of the season and on other home dates that the players decide, as long as Major League Baseball does not already have special uniform regulations on days such as Armed Forces Day (Saturday) or July 4th.
Naylor said he is excited to see how the jerseys and gear help Guardians fans and the city rally together.
“I think everyone’s going to enjoy them,” Naylor said.
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