CLEVELAND, Ohio — Everybody said Josh Naylor reaching 30 home runs this season was a big deal. The lone dissenter was Josh Naylor.
Naylor hit homer No. 30 Wednesday night to leadoff the second inning against the Twins. He added No. 31 in the seventh before the Guardians rallied for a 5-4 win in 10 innings at Progressive Field. Naylor, the Guardians clean-up hitter, had been homerless since Sept. 2.
“For Josh to get his 30th homer, what a cool accolade for him,” said manager Stephen Vogt. “He’s got 30 and 100 (RBI). It’s a huge milestone for players.”
Added Will Brennan, whose pinch-hit single in the 10th helped fuel the G’s winning rally, “Those were two big homers for Josh. He got his 30th and I’m sure that was weighing on him.”
Naylor took a different view.
Asked if he had been worried about reaching 30 homers, Naylor said, “Not really. I don’t really pay attention to the numbers like that. I just want to win the games.
“If I get it, I get it. If I don’t, I don’t. . .Everything’s in God’s time, not in your time. So if it’s meant to be, it’s be. It’s not. It’s not.”
The Guardians have two players with 30-plus players and 100-plus RBI in Naylor (31 and 105) and Jose Ramirez (35 and 107) in the same season for the 10th time in franchise history. The last time was 2018 when Ramirez had 39 homers and 105 RBI and Edwin Encarnacion had 32 homers and 107 RBI.
What’s going with Cobb, Kwan
Right hander Alex Cobb (blister right middle finger) joined Class AAA Columbus on Thursday and was scheduled to throw a simulated game before the Clippers play the Mud Hens in Toledo. Cobb has been on the injured list since Sept. 12.
“That’s the next step,” said Vogt, referring to the simulated game. “It a controlled environment so he can get his work in. We should know more tomorrow.”
All-Star Steven Kwan, Guards ‘leadoff hitter and Gold Glove left fielder, was placed on the IL on Sept. 17 with a sore back.
“Kwan has doing some baseball activities out on the field and swinging in the cages a little bit,” said Vogt. “He’s feeling better.”
Different take on 30-30
Guardians fans should know that Jose Ramirez became the first player in franchise history to have two 30-30 (30 homers, 30 stolen bases) seasons this year. But another set of 30s was reached Wednesday night.
In the fifth inning, Andres Gimenez singled and stole second for his 30th steal of the season. It gave the Guardians two players with 30 or more steals in the same season for the first time since 2000 when when Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar stole 39 and Kenny Lofton 30.
It is the 12th time in franchise history that it has happened.
“The impact Andres has had on our team doesn’t get talked enough about,” said Vogt. “The defense, the plays the makes, the baserunning. It’s not just the stolen bases, it’s the extra bases he takes. I think he was going to score before (pinch-runner) Myles Straw on Will Brennan’s single in the 10th.
“He runs so aggressively and smart. He impacts the game the game in so many ways. “
Gimenez entered Thursday’s game hitting .250 (139 for 556) with 30 doubles, eight homers and 60 RBI. His 30 steals have come on 35 attempts.
Center fielder Lane Thomas has 32 steals this year, but only four with the Guardians since being acquired from the Nationals on July 30.
Captains rule
The Class A Lake County Captains won the Midwest League championship Wednesday night at Classic Park with a 9-4 win over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Ralphy Velazquez, Jonah Advincula and Jake Fox homered for the Lake County.
Travis Bazzana, the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, went 2 for 5 with an RBI for the Captains.
Steven Perez went two innings for the win.
Manager Omir Santos’ Captains lost the first game to the Timber Rattles in the best-of-three series. They returned to Eastlake to win Games 2 and 3 for the title. Santos is in his second year of managing the Captains.
Vogt congratulated the Captains and said, “Player development is about developing players into winners. You play winning baseball, you learn. You play playoff baseball, no matter what level you’re at, there’s pressure and you have to step up.
“To see winning in the minor leagues is exciting. It’s the culture we’ve had here and want to continue. We want winning baseball players at the major leagues.”
Class AA Akron and Columbus qualified for the postseason as well.
Sign of the time
The Progressive Field scoreboard showed a kid in the stands holding a sign that said: “Clinch playoffs or (go to) School.”
The Guardians needed a victory on Thursday a playoff spot.
