The Indians sorely needed a win after three straight losses in which they scored one run over three games getting shut out twice.
They did just that as Jose Ramirez sent fans home in a good mood, hitting a two-run homer with two outs in the 9th to give the Tribe a 5-3 win.
The win puts the team at 19-16 on the season, 10-7 at Progressive Field. Brad Hand (2-1, 1.08) got the win by pitching a scoreless ninth with the game tied at three.
The two teams will play a 1:10 affair on Thursday as the Tribe will look for the split over the four-game set. Here’s a look at some thoughts on Wednesday’s game.
1. Blast Off!
For the first time in his career, Jose Ramirez hit a walk-off homer with two outs to bring home Frankie Lindor to send the team to a 5-3 win.
With the wind blowing in, it was still a no-doubt shot, as Ramirez crushed a Kelvin Herrera pitch 412 feet to send the home fans home happy.
“I was thrilled, he really put a charge in that, (Jason) Kipis had one earlier in the game which was just a good, but Jose jumped on that ball,” Terry Francona said.
Fans and the organization have been waiting, and waiting, and waiting to see Ramirez get on track with both power and better at-bats, and while he had an ugly strikeout earlier in the game, he got a hold of one in the 9th that will be remembered.
Ramirez is actually over .200 batting wise on the year, now hitting .205.
HOME RUN PITCH ‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️
Jose Ramirez walk-off 2-run HR. @Indians win 5-3. #RallyTogether pic.twitter.com/tj8E4ifd42
— SportsTime Ohio (@SportsTimeOhio) May 9, 2019
2. Bieber’s Night
Things got away from Shane Bieber in the 7th inning when the Sox scored their other two runs to tie the game, but before then, the was aggressive and his curve was really good to set the tempo.
Bieber struck out six, and went 6.1 innings, allowing three runs on eight hits with one walk.
“I thought he was really good, but in his last inning it seemed like he was always up with everything, and it happened quick, so we didn’t have a chance to get any guys up,” Francona said.
While he gets the no-decision, it goes down as another quality start for Bieber who will be counted on a lot more with injuries to both Corey Kluber and Mike Clevinger.
“I was just trying to keep them on their heels as much as I could with curveballs, not let them get too comfortable,” Bieber said.
“I thought I did a really good job tonight, but I wish I could have went longer than I could, but it was a well rounded ballgame and a good win in all facets of the game.”
3. The Offense Gave Themselves a Chance
The Tribe offense had just one extra base hit on the night (the Ramirez homer), but overall had 12 hits, struck out six times, and drew a walk.
Yes the other 11 hits were singles, but they got runners on base, and gave themselves the chance to score runs, which they did in the fourth when they put up three runs.
The team nearly put the game away in the 6th when Jake Bauers singled and Leonys Martin did the same, putting runners on the corners with no outs up 3-1.
From there though the team couldn’t push a run across, Kevin Plawecki popped out to second, Tyler Naquin hit into a fielder’s choice that saw Bauers thrown out at home, and then Francisco Lindor grounded out to stop the inning.
IF the team can keep hitting like the did against Sox starter Reynaldo Lopez and others, the club will start to push more than one run across in 30 innings, like they did before the three-run fourth inning.
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