Cleveland – José Ramírez knew when he was 15 years old and growing up in the Dominican Republic that he could end up being a pretty good home-run hitter.

Cleveland’s All-Star third baseman has been better than good as he set another franchise record on Tuesday night against the Miami Marlins.

Ramírez’s line drive over the right-field wall in the eighth inning was his second of the night and his 27th multihome run game, surpassing Jim Thome and Albert Belle for the most in franchise history.

The solo shot also gave the Guardians a 4-3 victory.

Ramírez’s accomplishment was flashed on the scoreboard at Progressive Field before the ninth inning as he ran to third base. He got a standing ovation from the 21,874 fans.

“It felt good. Obviously it’s not easy to play the game and it’s not an easy thing to do,” he said through an interpreter. “But the important part is that we won and most importantly, I want to win. So that’s the real feeling at the end.”

After a 10-game losing streak had them at 40-48, the Guardians have gone an AL-best 22-8 since July 7 and are only one game out of the final wild-card spot.

“It always feels like he’s going to deliver. Anytime he’s up at any point in the game, you make sure you’re watching,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. “Such a special night for him and his family.”

Ramírez’s 27 multihomer games since entering the majors on Sept. 1, 2013, are tied for eighth-most in the majors according to Sportradar. Yankees’ slugger Aaron Judge, who made his big-league debut in 2016, has the most with 44.

“He’s our dad taking care of us. He’s putting his team on the back doing what he does,” All-Star left fielder Steven Kwan said. “I mean, people don’t have 54 homers in their whole career and he is doing it and obviously 27 games, which is just crazy. It’s special.”

Ramírez was 2 for 25 on the Guardians’ six-game road trip and broke out of a 0-for-12 skid when he drove a low changeup from Miami starter Janson Junk into the stands in right-center to put Cleveland up 1-0 in the first inning.

Of his 25 homers this season, 13 have come with two out, which is third in the majors.

On Aug. 1, Ramírez became the first major league player who primarily plays third base to have at least 275 home runs and 275 stolen bases. Besides multihomer games, he holds the Cleveland franchise records for career home runs by a third baseman (230) and career home runs by a switch hitter.

“I knew maybe I don’t have the power, but I have quick hands and fast hands when hitting. So I knew I had to learn how to hit homers. I knew I could. I just needed time to learn how to execute it,” Ramírez said about growing up.

Judge homers as Yankees rout Twins, 9-1

New York – Aaron Judge hit his first homer in nearly three weeks, Giancarlo Stanton had his first four-hit game in almost two years, and the New York Yankees routed the Minnesota Twins 9-1 on Tuesday night.

Carlos Rodón (12-7) allowed one hit in seven innings, a leadoff single to Austin Martin, and cruised after a 31-pitch first. He became the first Yankee to complete seven innings since the left-hander pitched eight against the Cubs on July 11.

Stanton went 4 for 5 for his first four-hit game since Aug. 24, 2023, against Washington. He doubled in his first at-bat, homered in the fifth and singled in his final two at-bats before getting lifted for a pinch runner following a two-run single.

Judge homered for the first time since July 23 when he hit a drive off Minnesota rookie starter Travis Adams (1-2).

Anthony Volpe hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the second as the Yankees beat the Twins for the ninth straight time.

Stanton added a homer in the fifth to give the Yankees a 5-1 lead. It was the second time this season Stanton and Judge connected in the same game and 54th time overall, including the playoffs.

The Yankees won their third series since the All-Star break and won the first two games of a series for the first time since sweeping Seattle July 8-10.

Bregman homers against former team again

Houston – Alex Bregman homered against his former team for a second straight game and Carlos Narváez added a three-run shot to lead the Boston Red Sox to a 14-1 win over the Houston Astros on Tuesday night.

Dustin May (7-8) scattered five singles across six scoreless and struck out eight in his second start since a trade from the Dodgers.

The loss drops the Astros into a tie with Seattle for the AL West lead after the Mariners beat the Orioles 1-0 for their eighth consecutive win Tuesday.

Bregman, who is playing in Houston as a visitor for the first time this week, hit another two-run home run Tuesday night after hitting one in his first at-bat in Monday night’s 7-6 loss. He spent his first nine seasons with the Astros before signing with the Red Sox this offseason.

His homer came after Narváez slugged a three-run shot as Boston scored five runs with two outs in the sixth to push the lead to 7-0.

Houston starter Spencer Arrighetti (1-3) struggled with command in his second start since missing four months with a broken right thumb. He allowed just one hit and two runs, but walked a career-high five in five innings.

The bases were loaded with one out in the third when Arrighetti plunked Trevor Story on the hand to make it 1-0. The Red Sox made it 2-0 when Roman Anthony, who hit a solo homer in the eighth, scored on a sacrifice fly by Masataka Yoshida.

Wilyer Abreu hit an RBI double in the seventh and a two-run double in Boston’s four-run eighth that made it 12-0.

Struggling Mets send Montas to bullpen

New York – The New York Mets moved struggling right-hander Frankie Montas to the bullpen Tuesday.

The 32-year-old Montas, who signed a two-year, $34 million deal in December, suffered a strained right lat in spring training and has been ineffective since returning to action. He posted a 12.05 ERA in six rehab appearances and was 3-2 with a 6.38 ERA in eight games, including seven starts, for the Mets.

Montas has not pitched more than 5 2/3 innings for the Mets, who haven’t gotten more than six innings out of a starter – with the exception of David Peterson – since June 7. In that span, New York is 22-31.

The Mets have lost seven straight games heading into Tuesday’s series opener against the Atlanta Braves and trail NL East-leading Philadelphia by six games.

Montas last pitched Saturday against MLB-leading Milwaukee, throwing 72 pitches and allowing three runs, one earned, in three innings. He worked his usual side session Tuesday and was expected to be available in the bullpen starting Thursday.

Montas hasn’t pitched out of the bullpen regularly since his rookie season with the Oakland Athletics in 2017.

“We just need to see consistency – and he’ll be the first one that tells you,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “It’s been a battle for him, health-wise. And then after he got back, we saw flashes for a couple of outings, but then it’s been a battle. And he understands where we’re at in the season and that’s why we made the decision.”

Mendoza said New York has not made a decision who will take Montas’ spot in the rotation on Saturday against Seattle.

The Mets are currently without a long man in the bullpen with the injured Paul Blackburn scheduled to make another minor league rehab appearance Wednesday. That could lead to New York to promote one of two prospects – Nolan McLean or Brandon Sproat – from Triple-A Syracuse.

McLean last pitched Sunday. The 24-year-old right-hander, selected in the third round of the 2023 draft, is 8-5 with a 2.45 ERA and 127 strikeouts in 113 2/3 innings in 21 games, including 18 starts, this year at Syracuse and Double-A Binghamton.

Sproat, a 24-year-old righty who was a second-round pick in 2023, last pitched Thursday. He is 7-5 with a 4.10 ERA and 86 strikeouts in 101 innings in 22 starts for Syracuse.

McLean has pitched at least six innings 10 times, while Sproat has gone six innings in five appearances.

“They are in the conversation, we just haven’t decided who the guy is,” Mendoza said. “We’ll see where it goes. But whoever comes up here, if it’s one of the prospects, the plan is to give them a good look here.”

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