For the first time in his major league career, José Ramírez has hit three home runs in a game.
Ramírez hit three consecutive jacks during Thursday night's game between the Cleveland Guardians and the Boston Red Sox, managing two off Boston starter Matt Dermody, and one against former teammate Corey Kluber, who pitched in relief for the Red Sox.
Ramírez came into Thursday's game with six home runs on the season, but found a power stroke early on with a 1st-inning solo shot off Dermody that traveled 392 feet, giving the Guardians a 1-0 lead.
Two innings later, Ramírez stepped up with two outs and a runner on first and ripped Dermody's 3-1 pitch out to left field. The home run was not only Ramírez's second of the game to give the Guardians a 3-0 lead, but also the 200th for his career - which tied Travis Hafner for 9th in career homers in Cleveland's club history. Ramírez also achieved his 700th career RBI during the at-bat.
"The reality [was], in that second at-bat, I haven't had two hits in a game in a couple of games, so I was looking to put the ball in play to get a hit," Ramírez said after the game, via a translator. "So, when the pitcher got behind in the count, I kind of changed the approach and went a little behind to try and hit a homer."
The tie between Hafner and Ramírez would be short-lived, however, after the latter came to the plate in the bottom of the sixth inning. With Cleveland's lead whittled down to 3-2, Ramírez - now batting on the left-hander's side - worked the count full on reliever Corey Kluber, who had been teammates with Ramírez in Cleveland from 2013 to 2019.
Kluber's payoff pitch resulted in a 390-foot shot over the right-field wall to increase Cleveland's lead and kick-start a 5-run Guardians 6th inning.
Ramírez became the first Cleveland player to hit a trio of homers in one game since Edwin Encarnacion (May 2, 2018, against Texas) and the eighth Indians/Guardians player since 2000 to accomplish such a feat, joining the likes of Encarnacion, Hafner, Ellis Burks, Lonnie Chisenhall, Shin-Soo Choo, Victor Martinez, and Jim Thome.
Jun 8, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians players react after watching third baseman Jose Ramirez (not pictured) hit his third home run of the game in the sixth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Progressive Field.© David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Kluber would get revenge by striking out Ramírez to end the Guardians' wild 6th inning, while Ramírez grounded into a fielder's choice in his final at-bat in the 8th inning.
Cleveland won the game, 10-3.
