CLEVELAND – Guardians fans, players, coaches and staffers held their collective breath Friday during a crucial Tampa Bay Rays’ appeal and challenge that might have changed the outcome of the game.
But Guardians’ shortstop Amed Rosario said he wasn’t worried, even if his dugout demeanor seemed to indicate otherwise.
“Not really, because I was certain that I stepped on the base,” Rosario said through the team’s translator.
The drama unfolded in the bottom of the sixth inning of the Guardians’ 2-1 victory over the Rays in Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series at Progressive Field.
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The Rays had taken a 1-0 lead in the top of the inning on Jose Siri’s home run off right-hander Shane Bieber. With one out in the bottom of the sixth, Rosario singled to right and Jose Ramirez followed with a two-run home run to center field off left-hander Shane McClanahan that put the Guardians in front.
But Rays manager Kevin Cash appealed and then challenged that Rosario had not stepped on second base. Had Cash won the challenge, Rosario’s run would not have counted and the score would have been tied 1-1.
Each manager is given two challenges in the postseason, which was part of Cash’s thinking.
“When you get two of ’em … I couldn’t tell from there,” Cash said. “[Video] was kind of grainy. But it certainly looked like there was reason to take a look at it and let’s see what New York had to say.”
Guardians manager Terry Francona was concerned even though he had consulted with the team’s replay coordinator, Mike Barnett.
“There’s always concern,” Francona said. “We called Barney and Barney said, ‘No, he touched it.’ Just when they start huddling like that, you start to get a little nervous.”
Ramirez said initially he thought he was the offender.
“I was a little bit like concerned, but at first I thought it was me not stepping on the base,” Ramirez said through a team translator. “But I was confident that I stepped on it.
“But then when they give the resolution, I just felt extra happy and was able to celebrate.”
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During the delay, the crowd of 30,741 serenaded Ramirez with a loud version of “Jose! Jose! Jose!” and he came out of the dugout to acknowledge the fans.
“Didn’t see it live. Didn’t know that was reviewable, either,” Bieber said. “It took a little bit to make the decision. But as long as [Rosario] is sure, we’re sure. We trust him.”
Rosario said he didn’t take Cash’s challenge as an affront.
“No, not at all,” he said. “I feel that this is part of the game and after all it’s a competition.
“But I think it helped us because at the end we got the result because that was an extra emotion for us.”
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MRidenourABJ.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Guardians survive Rays’ replay challenge in wild card win