In a Thursday afternoon matinee between the Cleveland Guardians and the Kansas City Royals, José Ramirez of the Guardians made a daring steal of home in the 10th inning to give his team the go-ahead run. However, the Royals bounced back and won the game 4-3 on pinch-hitter Freddy Fermin’s two-run double in the bottom half of the inning.
Despite the win, the Royals had a disappointing first half of the season, finishing with a record of 23-58, the worst in team history.
Cleveland’s manager Terry Francona was in attendance but did not wear a uniform as a precautionary measure due to health concerns. DeMarlo Hale, the bench coach, managed the Guardians in his absence.
Ramirez started the 10th inning on second base as the automatic runner and advanced to third on a groundout by Josh Naylor. With a 0-2 count on Andrés Giménez and left-hander Aroldis Chapman pitching, Ramirez took a calculated risk and decided to steal home. He informed third base coach Mike Sarbaugh of his plan, and Sarbaugh encouraged him to go for it. Ramirez took five small steps toward the plate and then burst home, sliding headfirst and touching the plate with his right hand just as the catcher, Salvador Perez, caught the pitch. Initially called out by umpire Jeremy Riggs, the call was overturned after a video review.
Ramirez’s steal of home was a display of his instincts as a great player, according to manager DeMarlo Hale. It was a rare feat for the Guardians, as the last time they stole home was in June 2019 by Leonys Martin.
Although Ramirez’s steal was an impressive play, the Royals ultimately won the game in the bottom of the 10th inning. Nicky Lopez led off with a single, and Kyle Isbel, the automatic runner, moved to third. Pinch-hitter Freddy Fermin then hit a double into the left-field corner, scoring Isbel and Lopez and securing the victory for the Royals.
Emmanuel Clase, the Guardians’ pitcher, blew a save for the sixth time in 30 opportunities. The Guardians had built a 2-0 lead in the fifth inning with Ramirez’s sacrifice fly and Bell’s RBI single, but the Royals tied the game in the eighth on sacrifice fly by Edward Olivares and a run-scoring single by Nick Pratto.
On the pitching side, Shane Bieber of the Guardians had a strong outing, allowing only two hits and no runs in six innings while striking out eight. Royals’ starter Zack Greinke gave up 11 hits and two walks but managed to limit the damage to two runs in six innings.
Overall, it was a hard-fought game with missed opportunities for both teams, but the Royals emerged as the victors in the end.
The MLB Scoreboard from Thursday, June 29, 2023:
Tampa Bay 6, Arizona 1
Miami 2, Boston 0
Toronto 2, San Francisco 1
Houston 14, St. Louis 0
Detroit 8, Texas 5
Kansas City 4, Cleveland 3 (10)
New York (AL) 10, Oakland 4
Chicago (AL) 9, Los Angeles (AL) 7
Pittsburgh 5, San Diego 4
Milwaukee 3, New York (NL) 2
Philadelphia 3, Chicago (NL) 1
Los Angeles (NL) 14, Colorado 3
