Jose Ramirez produces highlights but Guardians fall to Astros, 4-3

CLEVELAND — Jose Ramirez hit his 39th home run on a rainy Saturday night at Progressive Field, moving closer to becoming Cleveland's first player to record 40 homers and 40 stolen bases in a season. But Ramirez provided nearly all the highlights for the Guardians, who dropped a 4-3 decision to potential Division Series opponent Houston to end their bid to clinch the American League's top seed in the postseason. The AL-leading Yankees lost Saturday, which meant Cleveland needed victories in its last two regular-season games, coupled with a New York loss Sunday. Ramirez added his 39th double — on an 11-pitch at-bat — for career hit No. 1,500 in the eighth inning to inch closer to another milestone. The only player in MLB history to record 40 homers, 40 stolen bases and 40 doubles in a season is Alfonso Soriano, who did it for the Nationals in 2006. "It's just been an unbelievable year to watch," manager Stephen Vogt said of Ramirez's sixth All-Star season. "What Hosey's done, it's so much fun. You watch his at-bats tonight, he's on every pitch. There's no fooling him right now. He's had so many stretches like that, really had it going all year. We'll see what happens (today)." Ramirez's two-run homer to right field in the opening inning off Justin Verlander put the Guardians in front early, but Cleveland starter Ben Lively wasn't able to hold onto the advantage. The-right-hander battled early command issues, lasting only four innings after throwing 58 pitches over the first two innings. He allowed a run in the first, but left the bases loaded before surrendering three more in the second on only one hit (three walks and a hit batter). "He kinda lost his command there for a little while, but he really battled," Vogt said. "I just thought he got his pitch count up. He started pounding the zone a little bit more. They really made him work. They were fouling a lot of pitches off. He just ran out of pitches." "My off-speed (pitches) were all over in the first couple innings," Lively said. "I was fine. I just didn't throw enough strikes in the first couple innings." After walking in the game-tying run in the second, Lively was nearly off the hook with two outs and the bases full, but shortstop Brayan Rocchio skipped a throw to first baseman Kyle Manzardo — who couldn't make the scoop — and was charged with an error that scored two and put Houston in front to stay. "You just have to keep making competitive pitches and you've got another chance to get an out," Lively said of recovering from the error. "It's the same game plan. You just keep attacking. Stuff happens." Ramirez brought his RBI count to 118 with a sacrifice fly to score Will Brennan and bring Cleveland within a run in the third. Brennan had three hits, including two doubles. Ironically enough, after his double in the eighth, Ramirez was caught in a rundown and tagged out at third as the game-tying run on a Lane Thomas grounder. Verlander allowed three runs in the first three innings but nothing after that, lasting six innings and striking out five. "It was vintage Verlander. I felt like he got better as the outing went on, and that how he's been his whole career," Vogt said of the 41-year-old right-hander. "He settles in the first couple innings and then he starts to ramp up. Hosey hit the homer, we were able to manufacture a run off him and not that much after that." Verlander tipped his cap to Ramirez after the game. "(He) is such an incredible hitter, you've got to tip your hat to him," said Verlander, who is 24-24 with a 4.42 ERA in 57 career starts against Cleveland. "It wasn't a bad pitch and he hit it out. It's impressive." Houston, which would play the Guardians in the ALDS if it advances past the opening round of the playoffs, owns a 4-1 record against Cleveland this year, winning eight of the last 11 games. The Guardians have failed to win a regular-season series over the Astros since 2017, going 13-26 from 2018-24. The Astros swept Cleveland in the 2018 ALDS. "They're a good team, they have been the whole year," Vogt said. "They played us tough in Houston earlier in the year and this is a team that's used to the playoffs. They're used to playing deep, and they're gonna be tough. "We don't know who we're going to play. We don't know how it's going to shake out. We've got one more regular-season game. We want to win. We're getting prepared for the playoffs, but we still have a job to do and that's to win (today)." Contact Chris Assenheimer at (440) 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com. Like him on Facebook and follow him @CAwesomeheimer on X.