CLEVELAND -- The Progressive Field crowd broke into a “Hedgey, Hedgey” chant in the seventh inning, imploring catcher Austin Hedges as he batted with runners on the corners and one out. Hedges lofted a sac fly to center field to supply the Guardians with an insurance run.
The vibes and energy are good in Cleveland right now, as the Guardians continue to play their best baseball of the season. On Thursday night, they beat the Marlins, 9-4, to secure their fifth straight series win.
“That was awesome,” Hedges said of the chant. “To feel the love from these fans, it's special.”
Cleveland has now won five straight series in a single season for the first time since Sept. 16-Oct. 5, 2022. That stretch marked the end of their regular-season slate, as the Guardians propelled themselves into the postseason.
Clevelanders hope this regular season is headed to yet another exciting finish.
The Guardians (63-57) are an American League best 23-9 since July 7, when they snapped their 10-game losing streak. They moved to a half-game behind the idle Yankees (64-57) for the final American League Wild Card spot on Thursday, and two games behind the Mariners (67-55) for the top spot.
Cleveland remains 6 1/2 games back in the AL Central, after first-place Detroit (71-52) beat Minnesota on Thursday.
Thursday’s rubber match (which saw José Ramírez pass Kenny Lofton for third in franchise history in runs scored, with 977) was yet another reminder of the stark turnaround the Guardians have had since their losing streak.
However, while the on-field results have turned around, the team has maintained it has tried to remain consistent day in and day out through the good times and bad this season.
“Throughout the skid, I think after the game you could feel it,” Hedges said. “After the game was tough. Some losses were tougher than others. But the next day, you wouldn't even know that something bad happened, whether it was on the field or off the field.
“We’re resilient, and this group wants to win so bad. So many guys in [the clubhouse] know how close we were last year, and they know what it takes, and they know we’ve got more work to do. It was only a matter of time before we got on a roll, because we play such good baseball.”
Over the past five weeks, it’s come with contributions from everywhere. At different points this season, the Guardians struggled in part because they did not get enough offensive production outside of Ramírez and Steven Kwan. We’ve seen that shift over the past month-plus, when someone new seems to step up each game.
That included Hedges on Thursday, as he went 2-for-4 to secure his first multihit game since Aug. 26, 2024, in Game 1 of a doubleheader against the Royals.
“He's been working tremendously hard all year. He always does on his offense,” manager Stephen Vogt said. “It's really nice to put in a day of work like that and then go out and have a game like he did.”
Of course, Kwan and Ramírez were at the heart of Cleveland’s offensive attack. They each singled in the first as the Guardians rallied to erase a 3-0 deficit against Marlins starter Edward Cabrera.
Kwan went 1-for-4 with a pair of runs scored, while Ramírez went 3-for-4 with three singles, two stolen bases and three runs scored. He passed Lofton for third in franchise history in runs scored on a Gabriel Arias sac fly in the fifth. Ramírez now only trails Earl Averill (1,154) and Tris Speaker (1,079).
“What can I tell you?” Cabrera said through interpreter Luis Dorante Jr. “He's one of the best in baseball right now, and all my respect to him."
Ramírez demonstrated his baserunning acumen twice in the seventh. He was on third when C.J. Kayfus hit a chopper over the head of Marlins reliever Valente Bellozo. Miami’s infield was drawn in, but Ramírez scored rather easily after getting a great jump toward the plate to beat shortstop Otto Lopez’s throw.
Ramírez reached base prior to that run with a single to right field. He ran hard out of the box, and advanced to second after right fielder Heriberto Hernández booted the ball.
“Those are the little things that make him so good,” Hedges said of Ramírez. “No one really notices that; that’s not in the box score. Obviously, you see the stolen bases, but a guy boots a ball in right, he's going to be on second. We get a chopper to the infield on a contact play, he's going before it's even hit.
“It's the little things that make him the best in the world.”