"Jose Ramirez needs a big game against Tarik Skubal" - Cleveland Guardians pundit outlines plan to beat Detroit Tigers in ALDS Game 2
The Cleveland Guardians got off to a 1-0 lead after a dominant American League Division Series win, but Tarik Skubal stands between them and a nearly series-ending 2-0 lead. For the Guardians to grab that lead, it will take a big effort against one of the game's best pitchers. One Cleveland pundit has tasked Jose Ramirez with leading the charge.
Justin Lada said on the Locked On Guardians podcast (30:41-35:04):
"Jose Ramirez is the only Cleveland batter with more than 10 plate appearances against Skubal... He's hitting .429/.455/.667. Now, one of my big factors for Game 2... I say patience against versus Skubal and Jose is a guy who needs a big game against him[Skubal]."
MLB teams that went down 0-2 in a five-game series have only come back to win the series 10 times. That means today is a huge game for the Guardians to put one of the final nails in the coffin of the Tigers, but it's also the biggest game for the Tigers to stay afloat.
Lada believes the key to victory is Ramirez, who has hit well in the largest sample size of any player on the roster against the presumptive AL Cy Young winner.
AJ Hinch details gameplan for Jose Ramirez
The Cleveland Guardians are a good team, but Jose Ramirez is their best player and leader. Accordingly, he's someone Detroit Tigers manager AJ Hinch is looking at.
Via MLB, Hinch said:
“The best way to approach José Ramírez is get the guys out in front of him. And if he’s hitting with nobody on base, he’s still a major threat, he can still change the scoreboard, he can still impact the game. But it makes my decisions better when nobody is on base.”
Hinch seems to be hinting that Ramirez, who did steal 41 bases in the regular season, might be an intentional (or unintentional) walk candidate if there's no one else on base. That's high praise and it illustrates how feared the batter is.