José Ramírez Leads Guardians in ALCS Battle Against Yankees

José Ramírez's Late Homer Gives Guardians Hope

CLEVELAND (AP) — José Ramírez finally had his New York moment. After several frustrating at-bats in Yankee Stadium, Cleveland's All-Star third baseman connected for a homer in the ninth inning of Game 2. The shot into the ballpark's famed short porch in right was too little, too late, but a positive sign for the Guardians.

Down 2-0 in the AL Championship Series following two sloppy games in New York, the Guardians returned home Wednesday feeling optimistic about cutting into the Yankees' commanding lead with three straight games—assuming, that is, they win one of the next two—at Progressive Field. The Guardians were the AL’s best team at home (50-30) this season, and Cleveland’s rocking crowd, while not nearly as intense as its pinstriped-dressed counterparts in New York, showed it was more than ready for October during the club’s ALDS against Detroit.

“Obviously we would have loved to have taken one in New York,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said Wednesday before the team worked out on a cloudy, chilly afternoon. “But we still feel really good about our chances.”

They should. The Guardians had numerous scoring opportunities in the early innings of Game 2 against Yankees ace Gerrit Cole but squandered them, and Judge's homer—first of the postseason—in the seventh inning put them away in a 6-3 loss. Cleveland finished 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 runners. However, Vogt was pleased with his team's approach, if not the results.

“We just weren't able to get that big hit,” said Vogt, who will start lefty Matthew Boyd against New York's Clarke Schmidt in Game 3. “We had pressure on them all night. Seemed like every inning we had one, two guys on.”