Austin Hedges starts behind the dish for Guardians

Ramírez golfed a pitch well below his ankles out of the park for a two-run shot that gave Cleveland a 2-0 lead in the fifth inning. That pitch was just 0.74 feet off the ground, which is the lowest in the history of the tracking era (2008). That’s the second homer of the postseason for Ramírez, and it’s a great reminder of how incredible the 34-year-old has been after his worst regular season due to injuries and lackluster — comparatively, in particular — results when on the field. He’ll now have a chance to reach the World Series for a second time if they can get pat the Rays in the ALCS, with that series beginning Monday.

Halpin will get his first start of the postseason as the Guardians look to complete the 2-0 comeback. Angel Martinez will begin Saturday’s win-or-go-home contest on the bench, but seems likely to be involved at some point. The full lineup against Sean Burke in Game 5: 1. LF Steven Kwan 2. 3B José Ramírez 3. RF Chase DeLauter 4. DH Jo Adell 5. 1B Nathaniel Lowe 6. 2B Travis Bazzana 7. C Patrick Bailey 8. CF Halpin and Brayan Rocchio at shortstop with Gavin Williams on the mound.

Bailey didn’t start the game behind the dish but came on as a pinch-hitter for Austin Hedges in the fifth inning. There, he tagged Erick Fedde for a 376-foot (110.0-mph EV) solo shot that got the Guardians on the board. That was the hardest hit ball in Bailey’s career. He then delivered a go-ahead RBI single as part of a six-run uprising in the sixth inning to help the Guardians take control of the game before scoring on a fielding error by Chase Meidroth. Expect Bailey to be behind the dish in another must-win game for the Guardians in Game 5 back at home on Saturday.

Ramírez clobbered a go-ahead 378-foot (103.1-mph EV) two-run homer off of Jordan Hicks in the fifth inning that briefly gave the Guardians a 3-2 lead. He then added an RBI single as part of a six-run rally in the sixth inning. He’ll need more heroics like that if the Guardians are going to complete their massive comeback from being down 0-2 in the series when they play in a critical Game 5 at home on Saturday.

Adell came through with a two-run single off of Grant Taylor during a six-run uprising in the sixth inning, pushing the Guardians’ lead to 9-4. The 27-year-old slugger is now 4-for-15 (.267) with six RBI in his first four postseason contests for the Guardians.

Ramírez helped Cleveland stave off elimination at Rate Field with a multi-hit performance after going hitless in six at-bats through the first two games of the best-of-five series. The 34-year-old franchise cornerstone snapped out of his brief postseason funk by scalding a 106.5-mph double off White Sox rookie Noah Schultz in the fifth inning. He swiped second base and crossed the plate thanks to a brilliant slide on a fielder’s choice later in the frame. He extended Cleveland’s lead by supplying a pair of key insurance runs with a triple down the left-field line with two outs in the eighth inning. He also made a phenomenal defensive play at the hot corner to take away a potential bases-loaded hit from Miguel Vargas in the sixth inning. The Guardians need one more victory in Game 4 on Thursday evening to keep their season alive and send it back to Cleveland for a winner-take-all Game 5 on Saturday.

Adell put Cleveland in front by rocketing a bases-clearing double into the right-field corner against White Sox rookie sensation Hagen Smith with two outs in the third inning. It was the big knock that helped turn the tide for the Guardians in a must-win affair on the road in Chicago to keep their postseason hopes alive.

Kwan has gone 1-for-7 so far this series with one walk and one run scored. The Guardians have used Travis Bazzana as a leadoff hitter at times during the season, but Kwan is continuing to make lots of contact, so Cleveland will keep slotting him at the top of the lineup and hope that contact turns to hits on Wednesday. The entire Guardians lineup remains the same as Game 2 on Monday.

Ramírez, who did manage to walk and score a run in this one, has gone 0-for-6 with three strikeouts during the first two contests of the best-of-five series. The Guardians have mustered just three runs on seven hits combined during that span. They’ll attempt to stave off elimination when the series shifts to Chicago for Game 3 on Wednesday evening.

Lowe sat in Game 1, but even with left-hander Anthony Kay on the mound, the Guardians will turn to him to man first base. Lowe entered Game 1 after left-hander Hagen Smith was removed from the game and went 1-for-2 with a walk. His insertion in the lineup will move Angel Martinez to sixth in the order.