The Guardians nearly managed to pull of what would've been a signature comeback against the Tigers in Game 1 of the American League wild card series. In the bottom of the ninth inning, down 2–1, José Ramírez managed to reach third base with nobody out due to a throwing error, but Cleveland wasn't able to capitalize.
That's in part due to a costly mistake Ramirez made at third, which resulted in him getting caught between bases after Kyle Manzardo hit a ground ball to the pitcher's mound. Ramirez, for whatever reason, had an unusually large lead off third base. As such, when the ball was hit weakly in the infield, he was stranded in between third base and home plate, and was easy prey for Tigers pitcher Will Vest.
WILL VEST ERASES THE THREAT! #POSTSEASON pic.twitter.com/FtxDotsTIq
— MLB (@MLB) September 30, 2025
Ramírez was already halfway down the line by the time Vest fielded the ball, but rather than continue heading for the plate, he stopped short and tried to retreat. Vest noticed he was in No Man's Land, and reacted accordingly to secure the critical second out of the inning.
The baserunning gaffe from Ramírez moved the potential game-tying run from third base to first base, and the Guardians weren't able to even up the score after that, and the Tigers finished off the 2–1 win.
Game 2 is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon at 1:08 p.m. ET from Progressive Field in Cleveland.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as José Ramírez's Baserunning Blunder Cost Guardians Chance to Tie Game 1 vs. Tigers.
