Guardians' Ramirez owns up to gaffes in ALCS Game 2 loss to Rays - ESPN

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Jose Ramirez's mental mistake and fielding error cost Cleveland in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series, a day after his bat helped boost the Guardians to an opening win.

He left third base uncovered on Chandler Simpson's fourth-inning infield chopper, then misplayed Ben Williamson's grounder for an error that led to three unearned runs as the Tampa Bay Rays evened the best-of-seven series with a 3-1 win Tuesday night.

«It's a little bit faster here with the surface and I was playing parallel to the base,» Ramirez said through an interpreter. «The ball bounced right on the edge between the dirt and the turf, and that's what made it a little more difficult for me. I tried to knock it down.»

He added: «It's frustrating. I feel bad because I wasn't able to make that play and after that the runs came in. I feel bad about that.»

A seven-time All-Star who has finished among the top five in MVP voting six times, Ramirez had three hits and scored twice in Cleveland's 7-3 win in the opener.

Game 2 was scoreless with Victor Mesa Jr. on first and two outs in the fourth when Simpson beat out a high chopper to shortstop Brayan Rocchio.

Ramirez, shifted toward second base on the left-handed hitter, took a few steps toward Simpson and watched the shortstop throw to first. Seeing third base uncovered, Mesa rounded second and sped to third standing up as Ramirez tried in vain to catch up.

Four pitches later, Williamson hit a two-hopper that struck the edge of where the artificial turf meets the dirt near third. The ball skipped between Ramirez's legs into left, allowing Mesa to score.

«Jose kind of got stuck. It looked like he just didn't move his feet,» Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. «Just kind