The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Ramirez, Kipnis justify Francona’s faith in them
Indians sweep doubleheader from Rangers, head to Minnesota two games behind Twins
“He’s a great player. He just got caught up into some bad habits hitting. It took him a while.” — Indians manager Terry Francona, on Jose Ramirez
If Terry Francona is criticized for one thing in his time as Indians manager, it is that he is too loyal to his players.
Another way of saying the same thing is fans give up on certain players and Francona won’t — say on Jose Ramirez and Jason Kipnis, for example.
After being lost at the plate for 10 months, Ramirez since June 21 is on a 48-for-147 (.327) surge with 15 doubles, a triple, 11 home runs and 32 RBI.
Ramirez’s two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning in Game 1 of the doubleheader with Texas
on Aug. 7 provided the only runs in a 2-0 victory that cut Minnesota’s lead over the Indians to two games in the AL Central.
Ramirez hit a solo home run in the bottom of the second inning and drove in Kipnis with a single in the bottom of the eighth inning to help the Indians to a 5-1 sweep in Game 2 and cut Minnesota’s lead to two games.
The Indians and Twins begin a stare-down, four-game series in Minneapolis on Aug. 8.
“We’ve played a lot of baseball lately and guys will be excited for tomorrow,” Francona said. “It will be a fun series to play. They’re really good, we know that. But they’re also right in front of us, so it’ll be a good challenge.”
The 24,888 fans in Progressive Field in Progressive Field who witnessed the sweep chanted “Jose’, Jose’, Jose’, Jose’” more enthusiastically than they did a few weeks ago.
“He’s been doing it for a while now, which is really good,” Francona said. “On a day when we weren’t doing much, kind of a frustrating day (in Game 1), he pops one out and we hold on for dear life.
“He’s a great player. He just got caught up into some bad habits hitting. It took him a while. His confidence took a hit, but he’s a great player.”
The Indians are going to need Ramirez to hit in October the way he is hitting now to not be disappointed again.
The postponement of the game between the Indians and Rangers Aug. 6 at Progressive Field was about the only way to slow the tear Kipnis has been on for the last seven weeks.
Kipnis was rested in Game 1 of the doubleheader so Francona could have him in the lineup for Game 2 when the Tribe manager planned to make it a bullpen game and theoretically need more runs. As it turned out, Tyler Clippard, Hunter Wood, A.J. Cole, Oliver Perez and Nick Wittgren were so superb two runs was all the Indians needed.
Francona did not want to use Kipnis in a both games of a doubleheader one day before the Indians begin their series with the Twins. Kipnis doubled twice in Game 2, drove in a run, scored once and raised his batting average to .258.
Kipnis on June 15 was hitting .207 with two home runs, 15 RBI and 12 runs scored. Since June 16, he is hitting .318 (50157) with eight doubles, a triple, nine home runs, 37 RBI and 28 runs scored. He led all second baseman in RBI during that stretch heading into action Aug. 7. His nine homers are tied for third most in that span.
It was as though a curtain was lifted in midJune.
Kipnis never stopped grinding. Instead of watching tape of himself to see what he was doing wrong at the plate, he said he watched old tape of when he swung the bat well. The adjustment he made has worked for a quarter of the season. It has been sustained too long to call it a hot streak.
Players aren’t always looking over their shoulder when they know their manager believes in them.
Reach Schudel at JSchudel@News-Herald. com. On Twitter: @JSProInsider