%20(24).jpeg "Jose Ramirez's")
CLEVELAND — Jose Ramirez connected for a two-run homer, Shane Bieber dominated Tampa Bay for 7 2/3 innings and the young Cleveland Guardians played with poise in their postseason debut, beating the Rays, 2-1, in the wild-card opener on Friday.
Ramirez’s shot off Shane McClanahan in the sixth inning helped Cleveland end an eight-game postseason losing streak and left the club one win from advancing in its first season as the Guardians.
Bieber, rocked in his only other playoff appearance two years ago, allowed just three hits and struck out eight before being lifted with a runner on in the eighth.
%20(23).jpeg "Jose Ramirez's 2-run")
Emmanuel Clase took it from there, getting four outs for his first postseason save and finishing a game that took just 2 hours, 17 minutes. Cleveland’s closer led the majors with 42 saves in the regular season.
Jose Siri homered for the Rays, who dropped their sixth straight game overall and must win Game 2 on Saturday to force a decisive Game 3. The series winner plays the AL East champion New York Yankees in the Division Series starting Tuesday in the Bronx.
With 17 players making MLB debuts, the Guardians entered lacking playoff experience. However, RamÃrez and Bieber have been here before, and both came through for the AL Central champions.
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And the Guardians, who played “small ball” all season to win an unexpected division title, leaned on power for this win.
With Cleveland down 1-0 and running out of outs, RamÃrez delivered — as usual.
Amed Rosario singled with one out in the sixth off McClanahan, and RamÃrez, a four-time All-Star who finished second to Aaron Judge in RBIs in the AL this season, drove a 1-1 changeup over the wall for just his second postseason homer in 97 at-bats.
As the red-towel waving fans in Progressive Field screamed, Rays manager Kevin Cash appealed whether Rosario missed second. TV replays showed Ramirez slowing and touching the bag.
While the umpires waited for an official ruling, the crowd spontaneously sang “Jose … Jose … Jose,” prompting RamÃrez to pop out for a curtain call. The home run stood and Cleveland had a slim lead it protected.
Siri’s one-out homer in the sixth — just the second hit allowed by Bieber — gave the Rays a 1-0 lead. Siri flew out to deep center in his first at-bat in third before driving a 1-0 pitch over the fence.
Game 1 goes to the Guardians! Incredible pitching performance by Bieber! Jose Ramirez’s go ahead 2 run home run holds up and the Rays face elimination tomorrow! #Guardians #MLB #WildCard pic.twitter.com/SvEZmCF8ME
— Scoreboard Addicts Podcast🎙 (@ScoreAddictsPod) October 7, 2022
Tampa Bay didn’t get its first hit off Bieber until the fifth, when Harold RamÃrez bounced a single into center. But Bieber buckled down and got two outs before striking out Christian Bethancourt, the right-hander’s third punchout to end an inning.
When he was lifted, Bieber received a thunderous ovation he tried to return by clapping into his glove.
Both Shanes, McClanahan and Bieber, were looking to rebound from poor playoff outings.
As a rookie last season, McClanahan pitched five scoreless innings in Game 1 of the ALDS against Boston. Called on to pitch in relief in Game 4, he gave up five runs and recorded only two outs and then took out his frustration on a chair in the tunnel in Fenway Park.
Bieber’s only postseason appearance was equally forgettable. In 2020, when he won the AL Cy Young Award leading the league in wins, strikeouts and ERA, Bieber was tagged for seven runs in just 4 2/3 innings against the Yankees in the wild card. Aaron Judge belted a two-run homer off him in the first.