There’s clutch, and then there’s whatever got into Guardians slugger Josh Naylor this weekend.
Over the course of three games against the Angels, the first baseman came to the plate in the eighth inning with Cleveland behind or the score tied in all three games. And each time, he delivered in dramatic fashion with a go-ahead home run.
Naylor’s weekend heroics were not just rare, they’re practically unheard of. The 25-year-old is the first player since at least 1961 to hit a go-ahead home run in the eighth inning or later in three consecutive games, according to Sarah Langs of MLB.com.
Naylor’s solo homer on Friday broke a 3-3 tie in a game the Guardians wound up losing, 5-4, after giving up two runs in the ninth inning. He proved to be the deciding factor on Saturday and Sunday, though: he hit a three-run shot on Saturday with Cleveland trailing by two, then he hit another three-run homer to break a 1-1 tie on Sunday in what eventually turned into a 4-3 Guardians win. He now boasts six home runs on the season.
Naylor entered the series sporting a meager .548 OPS, which was raised to .660 after the weekend. If he treats every plate appearance this season like he’s in a high-pressure situation, he seems likely to keep putting up big numbers.
