CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Indians had gone 15 innings since their last run.
Jose Ramirez made sure his team's drought didn't get to 16.
With Carlos Santana having already reached first on a single in the bottom of the seventh inning, the 2-time All-Star broke a scoreless tie between the Indians and the Texas Rangers when he launched an Ariel Jurado fastball 393 feet to right field. The home run marked Ramirez's 15th of the season and couldn't have come at a better time for the Tribe, who suffered a 1-0 defeat to the Rangers on Monday.
With Tuesday's matchup between Cleveland and Texas rained out, the two teams will meet twice on Wednesday as part of a day-night doubleheader. After that, the Indians will head to Minnesota for a pivotal four-game series with the Twins -- the start of what could very well be a season-defining stretch, which also includes a three-game stand with the Boston Red Sox and four-game series with the New York Yankees.
Currently trailing the Twins by 3.5 games in the American League Central Division, Cleveland could benefit from Ramirez remaining his All-Star form. After a slow start to the 2019 season, the Indians' third baseman has caught fire recently, totaling a .320 batting average (.993 OPS), 7 home runs and 22 RBIs in the team's last 24 games.
Perhaps most tellingly, the Indians were 12-2 on the season when Ramirez hits a home run entering Wednesday's doubleheader.
For live updates throughout Cleveland's daytime matchup with Texas, follow our live blog and join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #3Indians.
