CLEVELAND — At the most important moment of their season, down a run in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded and two outs, as fans rose and screamed and prayed, as the tension threatened to overwhelm nearly everyone present, a familiar refrain wafted over the Guardians’ public-address system: “Are you ready, kids? Aye-aye, Captain! I can’t hear you!”
They sang along, the 36,483 in the stands and the one approaching the plate, the one who said he chose the SpongeBob SquarePants theme song as his walk-up music because “I have a big body, but deep inside I feel like a kid.” And then Oscar González, the 24-year-old right fielder who grew up watching the cartoon in Sabana Grande de Palenque, a town on the southern coast of the Dominican Republic, put on a show.
He took Yankees righty Clarke Schmidt’s first pitch inside for a ball. González fouled off the second one, and then the third. The fourth one—the fourth straight slider—kissed the outside corner of the strike zone. González lined it into left field to score two runs, end the game, 6–5, and give Cleveland a 2–1 lead in the best-of-five American League Division Series.
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It was his third go-ahead hit in the ninth inning or later, tying the David Ortiz for most in postseason history. And it came after perhaps the best—and most appropriate—walk-up music in the sport.
“We’re just a bunch of kids playing baseball,” said catcher Austin Hedges. “[The song is] a perfect representation.”
So was the rest of the ninth inning. Entering the frame, New York led 5–3 on the strength of three home runs. Cleveland had scratched across its runs by stringing together hits. That had been the approach throughout the regular season—only the 96-loss Tigers hit fewer longballs than the Guardians, and no one struck out less often—but in its first three playoff games, Cleveland had scored all its runs on dingers. Not until Friday did the Guardians notch their first hit of the postseason with a runner in scoring position.
For those who find this style of baseball beautiful, well, just know Cleveland manager Terry Francona does not necessarily agree with you.
“Believe me, I wish one of those balls would have gone out,” he said on Saturday, pointing to two long outs in particular. “I think on a warmer night, those balls go out and we would gladly have accepted that.”
But they did not, leaving the Guardians where they feel most comfortable: needing a few base hits.
“I think that comes from just believing in your teammates,” said left fielder Steven Kwan. “I think if we play selfish baseball, somebody has to feel like they’ve got to win the game by themselves, hit the three-run homer to win the game. Because we love each other and care for each other, we know as long as we get the next guy up, someone will get the job done. Unselfish baseball, moving the chains, and luckily it worked out.”
In the dugout, shortstop Amed Rosario turned to González. If Myles Straw gets a hit, Rosario said, we’ll win.
González replied, I’ll win it.
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With one out and Yankees lefty Wandy Peralta on the mound, Straw, the No. 9 hitter lunged at a changeup and blooped it to left field, between New York’s two most compromised defenders, left fielder Oswaldo Cabrera and shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Neither could make a play. Kwan flicked a slider to left to put runners on the corners.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone, working with half a bullpen after the other half hit the injured list (Ron Marinaccio, Scott Effross, Michael King) or ditched the team (Aroldis Chapman), went to Clarke Schmidt. Boone said afterward that he had avoided his most trusted reliever, Clay Holmes, because Holmes is recovering from inflammation in his right shoulder and was not available on Saturday after throwing 16 pitches on Friday. Holmes said he was available and was surprised not to be called upon.
In any event, Rosario poked a sinker through the left side, bringing the game within one. Third baseman José Ramírez tapped a grounder to nearly the same spot to load the bases. First baseman Josh Naylor struck out. And then González strode to the plate, and then the game was over, and a bunch of kids went home smiling.
