Cleveland, OH
Guardians notebook: A Carlos Carrasco quiz, a José Ramírez slam and a World Series rematch
CLEVELAND — Carlos Carrasco threw his first pitch as a big leaguer 5,352 days ago, a month after he was traded to Cleveland in 2009. He made his 200th start with the club Wednesday, the 15th pitcher in team history to reach that mark.
How well does he remember the details of his career with the organization? The Athletic quizzed him.
Who was your first strikeout victim?
Well, I pitched against Detroit. I had three strikeouts. But I don’t know who was the first one.
Brandon Inge.
Ah. Third baseman.
What about the first batter you faced?
Curtis Granderson.
Correct.
Who did you beat for your first win?
Chicago White Sox?
Nope.
Wait. I didn’t win any games in September 2009. In 2010, not the White Sox. Maybe the Twins? Wait, wait, wait. Actually, Kansas City. In Kansas City.
Bingo. Sept. 17, 2010, an 11-4 win. Shin-Soo Choo hit three home runs that day.
Who relieved you in your debut?
Joe Smith?
Nope.
Oh, wait. Jensen Lewis?
Lewis actually relieved the guy who relieved Carrasco: Tomo Ohka.
Oh my God. (Laughs)
Who did you face in your first at-bat?
Johnny Cueto? No, that’s my first hit.
Correct.
OK, who was your second (and only other) hit against?
Jorge Lopez. Roberto Pérez started the inning with a triple. In Milwaukee. Complete game.
Your first at-bat came against Jonathan Sanchez with the Giants.
How did you find all of this? I remember Kelly Shoppach was my first catcher.
That’s right.
You have had 17 different Cleveland catchers.
Seventeen? Damn. Wyatt Toregas. Carlos Santana. Chris Gimenez. Yan Gomes. Bo Naylor. David Fry. Not Austin Hedges yet.
Actually, Hedges caught him once in 2020.
Lou Marson.
Eighteen times.
Eighteen? What about Gomes?
One hundred thirteen.
(Laughs.) Did I miss any catchers in there? Roberto Pérez.
A lot of guys who only caught you once or twice or a few times: Luke Carlin, Beau Taylor, Eric Haase, Kevin Plawecki, George Kottaras, Brett Hayes, Sandy León.
Wow.
Who broke up your no-hitter with two outs and two strikes in the bottom of the ninth on July 1, 2015?
Of course I remember that. Joey Butler. He was with Tampa Bay, and the following year he was with us. I almost threw three no-hitters that year — against Tampa, one in Kansas City and one against the Angels.
Do you remember how many strikeouts you had in that game in Kansas City?
Sixteen. My career high.
Actually 15, but he had a Game Score of 98, a mark that hasn’t been topped by a Cleveland pitcher since. He tossed a one-hit shutout against the Royals on Sept. 25, 2015.
The Angels one — remember David Murphy, the lefty who played with us?
In the fifth inning Aug. 4, 2015, Murphy supplied the Angels’ only hit against Carrasco, who recorded a complete-game shutout in a 2-0 win.
The Kansas City one was Jonny Gomes.
Not quite. Alex Ríos, with one out in the seventh.
Who was traded with you to Cleveland for Cliff Lee?
Lou Marson, Jason Donald and Jason Knapp. He was out of baseball (before long). He was a good pitcher, but I think he had injuries. Ben Francisco was traded from Cleveland, too.
Ben Lively, a couple of locker stalls down, leaned over.
Lively: Who was your first hit off of?
Carrasco: Cueto.
Lively: Me, too.
They shared a fist bump.
I pitched that day. Jay Bruce had two strikeouts against me. I blooped one to right field. He just went like (threw as hard as he could), and it was really close (at first). Safe.
Quote of the week
“It went all right. He’s such a competitor and he wants to be in there. I just felt it was really important for him to get two days off his feet and be able to turn his brain off for a couple days. Understanding that it’s a 162-game season, I know he wants to play in 180 of them. He was understanding, and I think in the long run, it’ll be really good for him. He was respectful and all that, but we definitely had a few texts back and forth.” — Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, on telling José Ramírez he was giving him the day off Sunday ahead of a scheduled Monday off day
Final thoughts
• Here are the best 25-game starts in the 124-year history of Cleveland’s big-league franchise:
Best 25-game starts in franchise history
| Year | Start | Final record |
|---|---|---|
|
1966 |
19-6 |
81-81 |
|
1955 |
18-7 |
93-61 |
|
1999 |
18-7 |
97-65 |
|
2024 |
18-7 |
?? |
Twelve Cleveland teams started 17-8, including the two World Series champions (1920, 1948) and the 1995 team, which won the American League pennant.
• Ramírez said the greatest advantage a hitter gains from a lengthy at-bat is learning which pitch a pitcher trusts the most. Chase Anderson abandoned his changeup after two attempts in their battle Thursday afternoon. He then tried a cutter. And then another. And another and another and another and, well, by the 10th pitch of the at-bat, Ramírez wasn’t seeking anything else. After four foul balls, he yanked one into the right-field seats for a grand slam. Vogt said a hitter gets “educated” with each pitch.
Pitch 1: Ball outside, 85.2 mph changeup
Pitch 2: Ball outside, 85.2 mph changeup
Pitch 3: Ball high, 89.2 mph cutter
Pitch 4: Called strike, 89.7 mph cutter
Pitch 5: Swinging strike, 89.0 mph cutter
Pitch 6: Foul, 90.4 mph cutter
Pitch 7: Foul, 89.4 mph cutter
Pitch 8: Foul, 91.2 mph cutter
Pitch 9: Foul, 89.9 mph cutter
Pitch 10: Grand slam, 91.1 mph cutter
José Ramírez launches a grand slam for the @CleGuardians on the 10th pitch of the AB! 🚀
📺 MLB Network pic.twitter.com/mlfvzQCycG
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) April 25, 2024
In the dugout, Hedges predicted the slam a couple of pitches into the at-bat. He had to wait awhile before his prognostication came to fruition.
“Unbelievable at-bat by him,” Vogt said.
• Boston’s Connor Wong is 15-for-33 with five home runs in his career against Cleveland.
At-bats that have come against Cleveland: 6.8%
Hits that have come against Cleveland: 12.5%
Homers that have come against Cleveland: 33.3%
There’s not always a rhyme or reason for a player feasting on a particular opponent, especially when the players on the other team change from year to year.
Vogt treasured every trip to Kansas City, where he posted a .382/.433/.673 slash line in 14 games. That’s his highest batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage in any ballpark.
• Tyler Freeman paused for a couple of seconds with his back buried in the grass, his hips twisted and his glove stretched to his left. He hauled in Tyler O’Neill’s fly to center to start the seventh inning during a scoreless game Tuesday after a wild route to the ball. JT Maguire, who has been working with Freeman for months on his transition to the outfield, asked Freeman what he saw before opining on his path to a catch that had plenty of hearts lodged in throats in the home dugout. Freeman told Maguire the ball took a hard turn after O’Neill caught the 80 mph sweeper off the end of the bat. Wind and rain didn’t help, either. When Maguire studied the video after the game, he watched the ball dart away from Freeman as it whizzed toward him, confirming Freeman’s take.
“We don’t train pretty,” Maguire said. “We train to have false steps and missed reads. We put him in those positions because those situations do happen. You’re not gonna get the cleanest route. You’re not gonna catch the ball at the perfect catch point. The umpire said out, and that’s all that matters.”
• Andrés Giménez used “I Just Can’t Wait To Be King” from “The Lion King” as an occasional walk-up song this week, a favor to his 2-year-old son. He said he might mix up his song choice based on his son’s ever-changing interests, which at the moment include the song “Cleveland Rocks,” by The Presidents of the United States of America. The Guardians have long played that song at Progressive Field after the final pitch of a victory.
• It’s been 29 years since Cleveland and Atlanta clashed in the World Series, and though this is merely an April encounter, it could have a heavyweight bout feel, as the Guardians (18-7) and Braves (17-6) will arrive Friday at Truist Park boasting the best record in each league. They also own the two best run differentials in baseball, with Cleveland at plus-49 and Atlanta at plus-44.
(Photo of Carlos Carrasco celebrating after recording the final out of the sixth inning against the Pirates on June 18, 2011: David Maxwell / Getty Images)
“I thought it was one of the more likable teams…such a fun team.”
Those were the words of former Jason Kipnis before he and the rest of Cleveland’s 2016 World Series team were honored at Progressive Field on Friday night, nearly a decade removed from one of the most heartbreaking finishes in baseball history.
But for Jason Kipnis, the heartbreak everyone remembers, losing Game 7 in extra innings, feels different. Nearly every time Cleveland’s 2016 season is brought up, the conversation is somber, and rightfully so. To Kipnis, it’s far more personal.
“God, it would mean more to me [to win a World Series],” Kipnis said, following a moment to pause, breathe and think everything through.
He wishes the series had ended differently. Instead of sitting through a rain delay before returning to the field and falling in the final embers of Game 7, he could have been celebrating as a World Series champion.
His Game 7 Moment
It was the kind of game where everything that happened before it, every slump, every hot streak, every triumph and failure, suddenly no longer mattered.
For Kipnis, it birthed one of his favorite memories. One that still brings him goose bumps to speak about.
Late in the game, after reaching base on a bunt single, Kipnis understood the moment immediately. Opportunities like that did not come often, especially against a bullpen as talented as Chicago’s that had been surging the past two games.
When a wild pitch from reliever Jon Lester skipped away from David Ross, who was stationed behind home plate, Kipnis never hesitated. Racing home from second base, he slid across the plate to score alongside Carlos Santana, who was on the base paths ahead of him.
It was just the third time in World Series history that two base runners had scored on the same wild pitch.
For a brief moment, it felt like the championship drought was truly about to end.
“I see it hits the side of his [Ross’s] face and knocks him one way, ball goes back the other,” he said, reminiscing on that specific moment. “Within 0.1 seconds, I was like… ‘it’s happening,’ like I’m screaming, like it’s happening, and I just absolutely rounded it [the bases]. The adrenaline rush, I was like, this is what we needed to get back into this game. It covered the deficit a little bit, and it did. It gave us a momentum boost.
“It kind of brought us back into two-run territory and restarted the game a little bit.”
The Crushing Yet Unforgettable Finish
At the time of Kipnis’ sprint from second, Cleveland was down four runs and seemed to be out of the contest, but from that moment forward, the Indians were able to bring back balance to the contest. They went on to allow just one run, scoring five in the process, down the stretch of regulation.
Kipnis started the comeback, Rajai Davis continued it.
In the eighth inning, with the scoreline sitting 6-4, Davis stepped up to the plate with two outs and a runner on first. Kipnis, who was in the dugout at the time, still watches this moment back to this day.
“‘Ive gone back and watched that one highlight more than anything else,” he said.
Cubs reliever Aroldis Chapman rifled a 98 mph fastball at Davis, who stood in confidently, bashing the ball over the left-field wall at 101.5 mph at a 22-degree launch angle. It barely cleared the towering left field wall, sending Cleveland into screams.
“The noise, the looking around… I have chills right now,” he said, looking down at his right arm. “It was the first time I felt like, oh, that’s what pandemonium is. That’s like this is what the word is.
“Just the noise and everybody going crazy and the momentum shift and just what it meant to us right there. God, you’d run through a wall right then and there.”
Although Cleveland ultimately fell short in extra innings, the emotion from that night has never disappeared. For everyone involved, fans, front office members, players and others, it remains one of the most gut-wrenching losses in the organization’s history.
For players like Kipnis, it also stands as one of the most meaningful experiences of their lives.
Nearly a decade later, moments from that series still live on throughout the city.
Davis’ home run, a moment that likely awoke the entire city, is still recognized to this day. On Saturday, May 16, the first 15,000 fans who enter Progressive Stadium will be given a bobblehead to commemorate such a moment.
But first, a day earlier, the entire squad will be given its flowers before the Guardians’ series-opener against the Cincinnati Reds. And there, on the field, Kipnis can look around at the Cleveland faithful, many of whom had packed Progressive Field nearly 10 years ago, and think back to moments that won’t ever be forgotten.
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CLEVELAND — For the first time in U.S. history, a Navy warship will be commissioned in Ohio.
Commissioning a ship is a time-honored naval tradition that formally places a ship into active duty.
The USS Cleveland arrived in its namesake city on Saturday, coasting into Cleveland’s North Coast Yard. It’s the fourth ship in U.S. Navy history to bear the name Cleveland.
“It’s a little bit bigger than a flight deck. About 25% bigger,” said Commanding Officer Bruce Hallett. “And it’s higher up, the water makes it a little easier for pilots to be able to land on it. So they like it.”
Hallett has served with the Navy for more than 20 years.
“There are up and overs. So these flags are actually single flags. So we have quartermasters on board,” Hallett said of the colorful flags seen across the ship. “So they can use these to send signals to other ships. But in this capacity right here, they’re just purely for decoration.”
Inside the ship, the decorations pay homage to Cleveland, with two murals in the waterborne mission zone depicting key landmarks and Cleveland Browns signs in the gym.
“It’s all swagged out with all kinds of Cleveland Browns stuff new,” said Hallett. “We got the colors down there, the flags, the towels. It looks phenomenal. And the crew loves it.”
Sailors have been touring the city throughout the week, and Executive Officer Adam Cline has been coordinating community relations events with the crew. He sent two specific sailors to City Hall.
“We have two members of our crew that are from Cleveland,” Hall said. “That’s where they grew up. So it was real nice to incorporate them into that and to get a great memento from the city, a nice flag for us.”
The USS Cleveland will be commissioned Saturday and then head to its home port of Florida. When the ship eventually retires, the USS Cleveland Legacy Foundation hopes to bring it back to become a museum.
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – A U.S. Navy warship will be commissioned in Ohio on Saturday for the first time in 250 years.
The USS Cleveland is docked on Lake Erie ahead of the 10 a.m. ceremony.
Commander Bruce Hallett has commanded the USS Cleveland for more than two years.
“It is extremely exciting to be able to bring the USS Cleveland here to Cleveland and to be able to commission this ship here — obviously to introduce it to the city so that they can see the ship that bears their name,” Hallett said. “This has been a long time coming.”
The ship’s hallways are named after Cleveland streets, including East 9th and St. Clair Avenue.
A mural honoring the city of Cleveland is displayed on board. The Navy says it is rare to see something like this on a warship.
“Amazing mural, right? We’re so proud to have that on board,” Hallett said. “We’re just pretty much in awe when we saw all the stuff that we have in the city, and now we have it as part of the Cleveland. We love it as a crew.”
The ship’s weight room was outfitted by the Cleveland Browns with flags, towels, and mats.
“The Browns came and added their own touches to that weight room,” Hallett said. “So it’s all swagged out with all kinds of Cleveland Browns stuff now.”
The ship carries a crew of about 90, including two sailors who grew up in Cleveland.
The USS Cleveland is the final Freedom-variant littoral combat ship to be commissioned in the U.S. Navy.
Copyright 2026 WOIO. All rights reserved.
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