A baseball playoff game can change with just one play, and it doesn’t have to come in the bottom of the ninth inning. One batter leads into the next, one inning leads into the next, and everything that happens is tied to what happened before.
The Cleveland Guardians found this out the hard way in the ALCS against the Tampa Bay Rays. Looking for a second straight win on the road to open the best-of-7 series, Game 2 took a bad turn with an error by third baseman Jose Ramirez in the fourth inning, leading directly to the Guardians’ 3-1 loss.
After winning Game 3 at home with ace Gavin Williams on the mound, it is easy to speculate that Cleveland could have been one win away from a sweep. Instead, it was eliminated by Tampa Bay in six games.
With that in mind, analyst Jeff Ellis said he believes that one mistake by Ramirez cost the Guardians a trip to the World Series.
“The Rays beat Cleveland in six games, and they played kind of a perfect series. Let’s be honest, their bullpen outside of Ian Seymour was untouchable. Their starters were trusted to go deep, and they didn’t make any defensive miscues. And I think it’s really kind of hilarious that Game 2 shifted because a hitter who had been very important had a ball go between his legs on the infield. They lose a close game because of it. Because again, I think if Jose doesn’t have that ball go between his legs, Cleveland’s up 3-0 and probably advances,” Ellis said.
That fourth inning of Game 2 took several twists and turns that all worked against the Guardians. Cleveland starter Parker Messick walked Junior Caminero, but Victor Mesa Jr. then hit into what was initially ruled a double play. After a challenge by the Rays, Mesa was ruled safe at first.
After Messick struck out Jonny DeLuca for what was now the second out, Chandler Simpson got an infield hit, and Mesa reached third when Ramirez failed to cover the base. The next batter, Ben Williamson, hit a ground ball that went through Ramirez’s legs after he failed to charge it, and it scooted off the lip between the infield grass and dirt.
With a run in and Rays on second and third, Liam Hicks hit a two-run single to right-center for a 3-0 lead. The Guardians scored in the seventh inning, but it ended with runners on second and third when Jo Adell struck out, and Cleveland did not have another baserunner.
Cleveland was outscored 17-6 in losing the final three games, so it is hard to say how the series would have turned out, but the miscue by Ramirez wound up as a season-changing play.
NEXT: One Guardians Pitcher Could Still Earn A World Series Ring
