Guardians 14, Athletics 6: Jose Ramirez Steals 300th Career Base in a West Sacramento Shootout

The lead

May 2, 2026 - West Sacramento, Calif. - The Cleveland Guardians turned a back-and-forth afternoon at Sutter Health Park into a rout, beating the Athletics 14-6 behind Jose Ramirez's 300th career stolen base and home runs from David Fry, Kyle Manzardo, and Austin Hedges.

Shea Langeliers answered for the A's with two home runs, including a two-run shot in the first and a solo blast in the fifth, but Cleveland's four-run fifth flipped the scoreboard for good before Fry and Manzardo supplied late muscle, per the Associated Press recap on ESPN.

How the game turned

The Athletics landed first-inning traffic and Langeliers' power, yet Cleveland's rally in the fifth changed the story. Ramirez doubled in two runs to give Cleveland its first lead at 4-3, then stole third for career steal No. 300. ESPN notes he joined Kenny Lofton as the only two players in franchise history with 300 or more steals, and also joined Starling Marte, Jose Altuve, and Trea Turner among active players to reach the milestone.

A sacrifice fly stretched Cleveland's edge to 5-3 in the same inning before Fry homered in the sixth. Rookie Travis Bazzana added his first major league hit and RBI on a two-run single in the seventh and immediately stole his first base. Manzardo's three-run shot in the eighth provided insurance, and Brayan Rocchio and Steven Kwan capped the scoring with RBI in the ninth.

Pitching and matchup notes

Slade Cecconi (1-4) earned the win despite allowing five runs and 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings, illustrating how Cleveland's offense can outrun a choppy line. Jacob Lopez took the loss for the Athletics after six runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Per ESPN, Cleveland's 14 runs matched its highest output since a 14-run night against Kansas City on June 28, 2023.

Bats that changed the board

Ramirez supplied the milestone moment and the go-ahead rally, while Fry and Manzardo turned leverage into crooked numbers. Hedges' first homer of the season in the third kept Cleveland within striking distance before the middle innings broke open.

Langeliers provided the loudest Oakland response with two long balls, and Nick Kurtz went 2-for-5 as his streak of consecutive games with a walk ended at 20, tied for the second-longest such streak in MLB history per ESPN. The A's lineup showed fight but could not match Cleveland's volume once the Guardians added the late homers.

AthX Engine fantasy angle

AthX Engine graded the Guardians at 25 team FP on May 2, second on the slate only to Pittsburgh's eruption. Multi-run innings, extra-base hits, and stolen bases from Ramirez and Bazzana stack into a fantasy profile that rewards both power and pace on the bases. Daily fantasy totals from AthX Engine remain separate from dynamic pricing, yet this result highlights how a single rally inning can lift an entire roster's fantasy ceiling.

What comes next

Sunday's series finale pointed to Parker Messick against Aaron Civale, per ESPN's closing note. Cleveland leaves Northern California with a statement win; Oakland will aim to avoid a sweep with better run prevention after a long middle-inning sequence tilted the game.

*Sources: MLB.com schedule, MLB Gameday, ESPN recap, Associated Press via ESPN, and AthX Engine scoring. Information only; not financial advice.*