José Ramírez homers, reaches 1,000 RBIs as Guardians down A's 5-3 to stay atop AL Central

The Cleveland Guardians defeated the Athletics 5-3 on Friday night, maintaining their lead at the top of the AL Central. José Ramírez, who connected for his 12th homer and also hit his 1,000th RBI, was a pivotal player in the win. This marked the seventh time as an All-Star that Ramírez reached the 1,000 RBI milestone, making him only the second Cleveland player to achieve this feat.

Earl Averill holds the record for most RBIs in Cleveland history with 1,084. Rookie Travis Bazzana contributed to the victory with a walk-off homer in the fifth inning, snapping a three-3 tie and solidifying Cleveland's lead. Cleveland's pitching staff also played a crucial role, with Joey Cantillo pitching six scoreless innings after replacing Daniel Espino.

Cantillo, who has not allowed a run in his last two outings, allowed two hits in six innings and finished the game strong. Hunter Gaddis and Cade Smith added to the Guardians' pitching prowess by working the ninth inning, with Smith recording his 38th save of the season. The Athletics, meanwhile, struggled with their offense, hitting just three home runs in their final road trip of 2026.

Bazzana's three-run homer in the fifth inning proved decisive for the Guardians, who are now tied with Chicago for first place in the division. The White Sox hold the head-to-head tiebreaker. Up next, LHP Jacob Lopez (6-4, 5.02 ERA) starts Saturday for Oakland against Tanner Bibee (6-15, 4.16), who has had difficulty finding the plate this season.