The Guards didn’t have much of a break like other teams, but they made the most of it.
The “second half” of the season began on Friday and it comes with a lot of hope for our young Guardians. While we have lots to look forward to, let’s take a look back on the week that was.
Fry Makes His Mark on ASG
If you’re on baseball Twitter, you know that people were seething that David Fry was selected to the All Star Game. While his bat had gotten rather cold leading up to the game, the majority of his first half was entirely All Star-worthy. The super-utility player has proven his worth many times this year, and one of those times came during Tuesday night’s All Star Game.
Fry quieted the haters in the bottom of the third inning when he hit an RBI single to score Juan Soto and tie the game at three. The AL would eventually win the game 5-3, largely thanks to the efforts of the Guardians. Alongside Fry’s RBI, outfielder Steven Kwan scored a run and closer Emmanuel Clase earned the save for the winning AL team.
Ramírez Earns Redemption
José Ramírez competed in his second Home Run Derby Monday night after being eliminated in the first round in 2022. He had a much better showing this year, most likely thanks to the rule and format changes. Instead of doing a bracket-style first round, they simply made it so that the top-four home run hitters advanced to the second round. The second and third rounds were then reverted to the bracket-style.
It wasn’t looking good for Ramírez at the end of his regulation time as he only had 15 homers, a number that would’ve had him eliminated. However, he flipped the switch in bonus time and added six more for a total of 21 (tied for the most in the round). In the semifinals, he faced off against Bobby Witt Jr. who hit a total of 17. Unfortunately, Ramírez’ 12 would not come close to what he needed to advance. This was still an amazing showing for the slugger who vastly improved upon his 2022 performance.
Bats Wake Up in First Game Back
On Friday’s first game out of the break, the Guardians’ bats showed up in a way they’ve been needing in recent weeks. The team won 7-0 against the San Diego Padres thanks to a shutout performance from Tanner Bibee and the bullpen. Daniel Schneeman started the scoring in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI double to center field. The scoring was quiet after that until the boys broke it open in the eighth.
It all started with a single by Ramírez to score two runners. David Fry followed up with a bases-loaded walk and Brayan Rocchio broke it open with a two-RBI single. Tyler Freeman capped off the night with a sacrifice fly before Nick Sandlin closed out the victory. While the Guards couldn’t bring home a series victory, that big win was surely a breath of fresh air.
