Jose Ramirez became only the second player in MLB history, since tracking intentional walks began in 1955, to be intentionally walked three times and also collect three hits in a game. His performance helped the Cleveland Guardians hang on to defeat the Detroit Tigers 9-8 in 10 innings on Tuesday night.
“He got some good pitches to hit, and he made the most of them,” said Guardians manager Stephen Vogt.
Ramirez’s achievement matches that of Paul Goldschmidt, who accomplished a similar feat for the Arizona Diamondbacks against the Milwaukee Brewers in 2015, according to Sportradar.
Additionally, Ramirez is the first player to receive three intentional walks in a game since Jake Cronenworth of the San Diego Padres did so nearly three years ago, also according to Sportradar.
“That shows you what I think about Ramirez,” commented Tigers manager A.J. Hinch. Steven Kwan, leading the majors with a .363 batting average, kick-started the 10th inning with his third hit of the game.
Josh Naylor followed with a go-ahead single, driving in his fourth RBI of the night. Brayan Rocchio added a sacrifice fly to score Kwan, helping the Guardians secure the win despite squandering an early 6-0 lead. “Kwan’s hit got the inning going,” Vogt noted.
Scott Barlow earned the win (3-3) after pitching a scoreless ninth inning, and Emmanuel Clase recorded his 28th save of the season by closing out the game despite giving up a run in the 10th inning.
Carson Kelly’s sacrifice fly and consecutive singles threatened a Tigers comeback in the bottom of the 10th, but Justyn-Henry Malloy’s flyout ended the game.
“I’m extremely proud of this team,” said Hinch. “We fell behind early and the deficit grew, but we kept battling.”
Will Vest (1-3) took the loss for the Tigers, allowing two runs (one earned) over 1 1/3 innings of relief.
The Guardians bounced back offensively after being shut out in the previous game of the series, showcasing resilience to secure the victory with strong pitching performances late in the game.
