TORONTO -- The next-man-up mentality in Cleveland has been alive for a while, and on Saturday it materialized to thunderous effect.
With José Ramírez out of the lineup nursing a sore right ankle, the Guardians needed a hero to lift the offense and crack a stingy Blue Jays pitching staff. With the stage set, the ever-versatile Daniel Schneemann stepped into the spotlight ahead of the Guardians' 5-3 win at Rogers Centre.
Schneemann was a busy man over the last two days at Rogers. He replaced Ramírez as a pinch-runner on Friday and cracked the starting lineup Saturday before stepping into the batter's box in the ninth inning with the bases loaded.
Down to the final out with his club trailing by two, Schneemann unloaded his most impactful swing of the season. A left-handed hitter, Schneemann took a quick, clean cut on an inside offering from Yimi García and made no mistake -- his massive grand slam sailed into the right-field stands as he rounded the bases with glee.
It was a marquee performance from Schneemann, who finished the contest 2-for-4 with two homers and five RBIs. Saturday also marked his first career multi-homer game and his first Major League grand slam. Everything came together with furious force, and the 28-year-old lost himself in the moment.
“I kind of blacked out in that moment,” said Schneemann, whose four homers this year are one shy of his 2024 total. “I usually don't know when I get them, but that one just felt really good off the bat.”
When the trance ended, Schneemann’s teammates mobbed him in the dugout, delivering hugs and pats on the back. He was already the player of the game after his eighth-inning solo homer brought the Guardians closer; the grand slam made things even sweeter.
“I definitely won't forget this moment,” Schneemann said. “It was really special. I'm just glad I was able to do something to help the team win.”
Manager Stephen Vogt delivered a glowing review of Schneemann’s day.
“He hit the two homers, but he also hit the ball really hard his first two times up. So four barrels today,” said Vogt. “[Schneemann’s] been playing well, and the defensive work that he puts in. He changed positions three times during the game today.”
Rogers Centre went dead quiet upon Schneemann’s decisive blast, as the scrappy road Guardians had barreled back to steal the contest at the absolute final moment. It was an especially redemptive game for the Guardians, who pushed through early adversity.
The Guardians offense went ice-cold through the first seven innings of the contest. Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman dialed himself in for six scoreless innings, yielding just one hit and not allowing a Cleveland runner past first base.
As time ticked away, the deficit felt insurmountable.
“A game like that -- where it's 3-0 and ... it feels like it's 10-0. But our guys never quit. They never go away,” Vogt said.
Starter Gavin Williams made the comeback possible as he fought through shaky command to limit the damage. The big right-hander flamed out after 100 pitches through four innings, departing the game with two earned runs. Nine of his 12 outs came via the punchout, though his five walks overshadowed the impressive swing-and-miss stuff.
“Gavin made pitches when he needed to,” said Vogt. “And to go four innings, face 18 hitters, and only give up two runs, that's telling you that he's getting some big outs.”
Normally, a veteran hitter like Ramírez might jump the offense late in a game. Schneemann was the sparkplug this time around, helping his squad even the series in Toronto. Overall, it was just gritty baseball, a brand Cleveland does well.
“That's Guards ball, really,” said Williams. “We're gonna fight to the end, no matter what it is, no matter what the score is. And that's just what we do.”