José Ramírez smashed a solo home run in the sixth inning, surpassing Larry Doby’s franchise record with his 87th career go-ahead blast and propelling the Cleveland Guardians past the Detroit Tigers 2-1 on Monday night.
Ramírez’s shot off starter Jack Flaherty (0-2) hit the foul pole in right field, breaking the 1-all tie that had persisted since the first inning. With a 23-12 record, the Guardians hold the second-best spot in the American League.
“Ramírez is one of the top hitters in the league, and I made one mistake to him — and he capitalized,” Flaherty said. “The one pitch I pulled across the plate was supposed to be in. I hated the location of it.”
Nick Sandlin (3-0) pitched 1 1/3 innings to secure the win, while Emmanuel Clase snagged his 11th save, joining a four-way tie for the most in the majors. Sandlin, Clase, and teammate Scott Barlow share the big league lead with 19 appearances.
“Nick is my go-to guy. No matter the situation, he’s been stellar,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. “And we’ve got a pretty reliable closer to get three outs in the ninth, which isn’t easy for everyone.”
Flaherty struck out six over six innings, extending his winless streak to 12 starts. Since defeating Toronto on Aug. 3, 2023, while pitching for Baltimore, the right-hander is 0-5 with a 5.98 ERA.
Riley Greene kicked off the game with a home run on the first pitch for Detroit, marking his second leadoff homer this season and the third of his three-year career.
“I’m always swinging at the first pitch because that might be the best one you get,” Greene said. “I just aim to hit the ball hard.”
Will Brennan singled in Estevan Florial for Cleveland’s first run. Guardians starter Triston McKenzie lasted five innings, allowing one run while striking out six. Twenty-nine of Ramírez’s 223 homers have been against the Tigers, the highest among active players.
