It is safe to say that the Cleveland Guardians would not be returning home for Game 5 of the ALDS if it were not for Jose Ramirez. Following a regular season that was well below his standards, the superstar third baseman came through when his team needed him most.
Ramirez was everywhere in Cleveland’s Game 3 and 4 victories against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field. Now, he and his teammates have a chance to finish the job on Saturday and advance to the ALCS for the second time in three seasons.
After watching Ramirez make a huge impact at the plate, on the bases, and in the field, analyst Ken Carman is firing back at critics and dismissing the idea that the All-Star falls short in the postseason.
“Jose, Jose, Jose, Jose, Jose, Jose! ‘Ohh, he can’t hit in the playoffs. It ruins his legacy. He can’t do anything in the playoffs.’ OK, well, cram it with walnuts, ugly,” Carman said.
➡️ @KenCarman firing back at the José Ramírez playoff criticism after his huge game.#Guardians pic.twitter.com/lLUaI70xFq
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) October 9, 2026
The Guardians were on the brink of elimination after losing Games 1 and 2 at Progressive Field. In the 3-0 and 4-3 defeats, Ramirez was 0-for-6 with two walks and three strikeouts. This was after he batted .209 over the past two postseasons.
But in Game 3, Ramirez gave the Guardians a spark that he and they needed. In the fifth inning, he hit a one-out double and stole third base before racing home on Chase DeLauter’s ground ball. In the sixth, he ended a White Sox rally by making a defensive play on a hard-hit liner with the bases loaded.
Then, in the eighth inning, Ramirez hit a two-run triple, highlighting Cleveland’s 9-3 season-saving win. Just as important, it showed that he was breaking out of his slump.
In Game 4, with the Guardians trailing 2-1 in the fifth inning, Ramirez hit a two-run homer to give them the lead. The next inning, he added an RBI on an infield single, and Cleveland survived again with a 9-5 victory.
In those two games, Ramirez was 4-for-9 with four runs scored and five RBIs. He became the fifth player in history to have a single, double, triple, and home run for a two-game postseason cycle.
If he can continue those heroics with a big performance in Game 5, Ramirez can put all of the postseason doubts to bed for good.
NEXT: Chase DeLauter Reveals Guardians' Mindset Ahead Of Crucial Game 5
