Jose Ramirez records three heartbeats in one game for the first time in his career

CLEVELAND — Thursday’s series finale between the Guardians and Red Sox could be called the “José Ramírez Game.”

The Dominicans stole the show in Cleveland’s 10-3 win over Boston, hitting three home runs in the first six innings of the game at Progressive Field. This is the first time in his career that Ramirez has hit three touchdowns in one game, and the first time a Cleveland player has achieved the feat since fellow Dominican Edwin Encarnacion did it on May 2, 2018, against the Rangers.

As we’ve seen many times throughout his career, Ramirez once provided the spark the Cleveland offense needed. He only drove in the Guardians’ first four runs with his three home runs.

Ramirez entered the day with only six home runs this season. It’s springtime in his career as the veteran hits three home runs in one game. Two of Ramirez’s linebackers came up Thursday against Red Sox champion Matt Dermody. The third was against Corey Kluber, winner of two Cy Young Awards and Ramirez’s former teammate in Cleveland.

This is the 21st time in his career that Ramirez has hit more than one home run in a single game. In this sense, he is tied with Joe Carter for fifth in Cleveland history behind Albert Bell (26), Jim Thom (26), Hal Trosky (25) and Manny Ramirez (22).

As if that weren’t enough, the second of Ramirez’s three home runs on Thursday was also his 200th home run in a major. “He’s gone two games without giving up two hits in a game,” the veteran said of his second home run. “So I tried to put the ball into play and get a hit. When the pitcher was late in the count, I changed my technique and tried to hit him from behind to get it.”

Having hit 201 home runs, he is uniquely ranked ninth on the Guardians’ all-time list:

1 Jim Thomy 337
2 – Albert Bell, 242
3 – Manny Ramirez, 236
4. Earl Avril, 226
T5. Hal Trosky, 216
T5. Carlos Santana, 216
7. Larry Doby, 215
8. Andre Thornton, 214
9. Jose Ramirez, 201

And while it was with the bat that attracted the most attention, Ramirez made sure to remind everyone that he could be just as deadly with the glove. In the top of the sixth inning, Justin Turner stalled at 75.1 mph down the third base line. Ramirez picked up the ball with the bat upside down, turned and shot the ball first. Thanks to Josh Naylor’s effort at first base, Ramirez’s hard throw was enough to put Turner out.

Just as talk began that Ramirez might hit an offensive slump, the star third baseman exploded at bat. The Bunny native came into the day with a 0.224/.237/.310 offensive streak and no guards in his last 13 games.

“I’m still happy for him because I know what he’s been through playing every game and every half of every day like it’s his last,” Cleveland coach Terry Francona said of Ramirez. “You don’t see many great players playing like this.”