Gabriel Arias unleashes hidden power with a game-winning blast for Guardians at Oracle Park

Noga couldn’t help but notice similarities to another right-handed slugger known for standing deep in the box.

“Another guy that stood pretty far back in the box and showed really good power to right and right center field as a right-handed hitter was Manny Ramirez,” Noga noted, quickly adding, “I’m not comparing the two in any way, shape, or form, although there have been times when we’ve seen Gabriel Arias run the bases and remind us a lot of Manny.”

The Ramirez parallel, while carefully qualified, adds an intriguing layer to understanding Arias’ approach. Both hitters defied conventional wisdom about generating pull-side power by demonstrating the ability to drive the ball with authority to the opposite field from a deep setup.

Arias himself seems comfortable embracing his unorthodox style. “He was kind of laughing about it,” Hoynes said. “People ask him about the batting stance, but he says he really feels comfortable that way. His power as he was growing up was always to the opposite field and he’s taking advantage of it.”

For a Guardians offense that has struggled against left-handed pitching this season, Arias’ timely homer – his first since April 6 – provided a crucial breakthrough against Ray. It also serves as a reminder that sometimes baseball’s most effective techniques aren’t found in traditional coaching manuals.

The deeper question now becomes whether this clutch homer represents just a momentary flash or the beginning of something more sustainable. As Hoynes concluded, “Hopefully this gets him on a little hot streak.”

Want to hear more about Arias’ clutch homer and the Guardians’ impressive road victory? Listen to the full Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast episode for complete analysis of Tuesday’s win at Oracle Park.

Note: Artificial intelligence was used to help generate this story from the Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast by cleveland.com. Visitors to cleveland.com have asked for more text stories based on website podcast discussions.

Podcast transcript

Joe Noga (00:00.834)

welcome back to the cleveland baseball talk podcast i’m joe noga joined from san francisco by paul hoines hoinsy good to see you as we’re we’re trying something new here on the podcast with with video and so you guys are you’ve asked for it to your this is us in our natural state this is how you’re gonna get your your baseball

Talk here for the foreseeable future with myself and with Paul Hoynes on location with the Guardians after a win a 3-2 victory against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on Tuesday night. Hoynes the the Guardians finally break through against a lefty

Paul Hoynes (00:42.384)

Yeah, Joe, they really played well last night. They beat Robbie Ray, former Cy Young winner, handed him just his second loss of the season against eight wins. They really were patient against this guy. They drew some walks. They got some big hits at big times. He wasn’t exactly pounded when he left the game, but they did a nice job just being really, you

kind of judicious with their offensive approach to him.

Joe Noga (01:16.75)

Yeah, they didn’t get a lot of hits, but the hits that they got really counted. David Fry coming up with a big double to get in position to score a run. And then, you know, what can you say about Gabriel Arias? The place that he hit the go ahead home run is not a place in that ballpark where a lot of right handed hitters can show power and get the ball out of the ballpark. That was a pretty impressive swing on a ball that was even out of the strike zone.

Paul Hoynes (01:46.35)

Yeah, definitely. you know, he was in an 0 for 20 slump, I believe. And we were, you know, we were in the press box. We were talking just before he hit it out.

You know how far back he stands in the box, Joe. And you know, he’s almost so far back that the only way he can hit the ball is to, you know, right and right center field. And lo and behold, that’s where he hits the home run and just a big home run at a big time. His first since April, six home run of the season. So it came at the right time for sure.

Joe Noga (02:19.415)

Now…

you know, you’re going to bite my head off, another guy that stood pretty far back in the box and showed really good power to right and right center field as a right handed hitter was Manny Ramirez. I’m not comparing the two in any way, or form, although there have been times when we’ve seen Gabriel Arias run the bases and remind us a lot of Manny Ramirez. I think just watching him hit the ball and the way the ball jumps off his bat to right center field,

There might be something to that. I saw him hit a home run in Baltimore to right center field maybe I’m telling you that ball was crushed and you really do have to You know That shows impressive power to be able to hit a ball out that way as a right-handed here

Paul Hoynes (02:55.532)

That’s yeah, that’s the last home run he hit.

Paul Hoynes (03:09.838)

Yeah, he was talking about that. We were talking to him after the game. He was kind of laughing about it. You know that people ask him about the batting stance, but he says he really feels comfortable that way. His power as he was growing up was always to the opposite field and he’s taking advantage of it Joe. So hopefully this gets him on a little hot streak.

Joe Noga (03:31.82)

Yeah, that ballpark, Oracle in particular is one where a right-handed hitter tries to go the opposite field. They get swallowed up there because that alley, that triples alley in right center is one that sort of reminds me of Camerica Park and just the vastness of that outfield and the way it looks like it just swallows up fly balls. But Arias really did get a hold of that one and a good thing he did for the Guardians

Put them in front three to two in the sixth and then the bullpen took over and and we really got to see What what the Guardians bullpen can do when it’s firing on all cylinders? Kate Smith hunter Gaddis And then eventually Emanuel Claus a what’d think of the way Cleveland relievers performed in? Tuesday’s win

Paul Hoynes (04:24.568)

They kept getting big outs, Joe. really started with Matt Festa came in, you know, after after Slate Saccone. He got a big he gives up a double, but he gets gets a big strikeout. Then then Kate Smith comes in and ends the seventh pitches into the I mean, he ends a six and pitches into the seventh. He gets two outs in the seventh. Then Hunter Gaddis comes in.

and pitches his way through the eighth with a big assist, obviously, from Stephen Kwan. And then the ninth inning rolled around, and that was like the circus came to town, Joe.

Joe Noga (05:03.713)

Ha ha.

Yeah, and we had sort of forgotten over the last really the better part of a month with Emmanuel Classe dating back to April 30th, his previous 17 outings, 1.08 ERA, 10 saves and looked like the Emmanuel Classe of 2024, know, smooth sailing, never a bump or any trouble.

The A goes out there, gives up a couple of base hits and eventually loads the bases.

Paul Hoynes (05:40.686)

Yeah, it reminded me so much of the blowing sage Saturday in Seattle. He comes into a tight, you know, one run ball game and the first hitter gets a hit. And that’s all to me when class A is going bad, when we saw him at the start of the season, when he was dealing with the sore shoulder and just, you know, some control problems, that’s what happens. And, know, when he struggles, he gives up some early contact. gets

runners on base early in the inning and it can snowball from there. But you know, just another another great great play by Kwan helps get him out of the jam and he finally gets a strikeout to end it for his 15 save and eight. I mean 15 save and 18 chances. So you know we kind of criticize this guy. We’re nitpicking at him, but 15 out of 18 is not bad on this team, which is playing right around 500 ball.

Joe Noga (06:27.533)

You

Joe Noga (06:35.189)

Yeah, and I would say that we have a pretty high bar for Emmanuel class a right now in terms of what we expect when we see him roll out there and What he had 20 strikeouts during that stretch that I mentioned before Saturday’s blown saves so He had the strikeout sort of mojo had been back for him Over that stretch and we really didn’t see that when he needed a big punch out in the blown save Saturday And you know any other you know?

Appearances, I just think You know even if he’s dealing with something again if something flared up in his shoulder And maybe this is something to keep an eye on and monitor throughout the season But you know we’ll get into some some conversation here in a little bit about how It might be somebody else’s problem by the end of the season it might not be something the Guardians are gonna have to worry about if if if they look to be making deals and Trading off pieces at some point you brought up Slade Ciccone and

his success in San Francisco. This is a guy who’s used to pitching against NL West opponents. He looked pretty comfortable out there at the beginning of ballgame.

Paul Hoynes (07:47.28)

Yeah, you he gives up a two run. I mean a two out run in the first inning. He was kicking himself for that, but then really settled in. Gave them five strong innings. Joe he’s familiar with this ballpark. He made his big league debut here right now. He’s two and oh against the Giants in three starts, three appearances. So you know he you know he’s he’s been pretty. He’s been consistent.

As you know, coming in and joining this rotation with Ben Lively, you know, out for the season with Tommy John surgery. He’s filled that hole and I think he’d like to see him get past the fifth inning. That’s the next step for him.

Joe Noga (08:31.553)

Yeah, and you know, this is a guy who spent last season as a reliever So there might be some you know stretching out sort of issues or whatever It just might just take a little while for him to grow into that, you know, six seven inning deep kind of guy Did anybody has anybody asked him about his his little pre-delivery? Pose that know the one where he looks like he’s flexing like The the Adonis statue or whatever he sort of goes into this move where he brings

up his left knee and bends down and then he goes in and grabs the ball and goes for his delivery. It’s one of the more unusual sort of devices or whatever a pitcher is using that I’ve seen. I’m dying to know the origin of it.

Paul Hoynes (09:18.916)

Yeah, you know we were talking about it in the press box and I wanted to ask him about it, but the game got so crazy afterward that it seemed like when we finally got down to locker room, it seemed like that had happened five hours ago. So I’ll check with him. I gotta check with him today, but it is unusual. know, I was thinking that that would probably if you’re the hitter kind of, you know, kind of maybe make you jump a little, know, maybe disturb your timing too.

Joe Noga (09:45.292)

Yeah, and whatever it is, you’ll keep doing it. It’s working. Don’t change it because, you know, some reporters asking a question about it, but I’m just curious to know where it came from or when he started doing it just as a device to sort of get him into his delivery. you know, it certainly didn’t come from Carl Willis because we’ve never seen anything. Could you imagine Carl Willis out there on the mound flexing like that before every pitch when he was pitching for the

the twins that was.

Paul Hoynes (10:16.218)

Big train.

Joe Noga (10:17.069)

Yeah, there you go. So yeah, Slate Saccone, just, you know, last couple of starts been on that good trajectory. Just want to keep seeing those kinds of things out of him. The other thing, the other big thing we need to talk about, and I know you wrote about it last night, it was Stephen Kwan. not only, you know, his, not only is he an all-star hitter, he’s, you know, batting right around 300, top 10 in

in baseball in total hits in batting average, but this is a guy who consistently, whether he’s hot at the plate or whether he’s in a slump or even battling nagging injuries, when he takes his glove to the outfield, he’s as good as anybody in baseball. And he showed it again last night, not just with big throws, but with footwork and positioning and quickness and instinct.

He showed all of that last night in two big plays that really sort of helped the Guardians win.

Paul Hoynes (11:24.268)

Stephen Vogt said after the game, Kwon stopped the game with his defense. He stopped potential Giants rallies in the eighth and ninth innings. And you couldn’t have made two better throws, Joe. In the seventh inning, the Guardians had just taken the lead. I mean, in the eighth inning, I’m sorry, they had just taken the lead. Gaddis is on the mound and he gives up consecutive singles.

to start the inning man on first and second pinch hitter Wilmer Flores sends a liner to left field. Quan makes the catch and then he catches Casey Schmidt kind of leaking off second base.

throws a bullet to a Schneemann at second. Schneemann, you know, makes the out there for a double play and you go from, the Giants go from two on and no out to one on and two out and Gaddis is breathing a sigh relief, gets out of the inning, protects the lead. And then you go to the ninth inning and Kwon does it again, Joe. It was really, it was so cool to watch.

Joe Noga (12:35.433)

Yeah that play in the eighth inning, know Gattis had to feel like the the world was crashing down around him and then Quan comes out Really the ball that was hit by flores If it had been you know if the launch angle had been any higher we’re talking, you know They got the runner back at second base and and and quan might not even make that throw But because it was a sort of a line drive We saw a similar play a couple years ago with quan in houston where he actually ended

game with a double play that looked exactly the same where he dove to make the catch, got up and threw the runner out at second base. This one, the footwork was what really sort of got me on it was he positioned himself while the ball was still in the air to be able to catch it and release and throw or make a really strong throw to second base. Just an excellent play and you know what in the world was Casey Schmidt thinking, you know watching that ball there was no way he was going to get back to second base in time.

But you know Quan comes through makes that play and then with that sort of in the back of their minds and Matt Williams the the third base coach at In San Francisco had the bases loaded in the ninth with the the tying run right there on third base That in the back of their minds, know Quan does it again and sort of keeps the the runner at third

Paul Hoynes (13:58.414)

Yeah, just another great play. The Giants have loaded the bases in the ninth inning, Joe with one out. Dominic Smith sends a fly ball down the left field line. This was closer to the line. This was more of a fly ball. You know, one of their best base runners, John Ho Lee is on third base. But Kwan just unloads a great throw home to.

You know, just a great throw home to Austin Hedges and Lee kind of comes off the bag a little bit, but stays there. He’s not going to risk it. And Class A gets the next out, strikes out the next guy, and it’s game over. But two really great plays. Gold glove plays, Joe, from Kwan in the last two innings to really seal that win.

Joe Noga (14:47.903)

Yeah, was Casey Schmidt was at the plate who struck out so ironically enough Casey Schmidt cost the Guardians in the eighth or cost the the Giants in the eighth inning and You know winds up making the last out in the ninth on the strikeout You talk about the gold glove plays you talk about the formula that goes into a gold glove defender and what it takes to Get there what Stephen Kwant that the level that Stephen Kwan is at it’s not just Leading the league in outfield assists, which he does and I believe that

was his seventh outfield assist right now. It also has to do with run prevention and that’s exactly what he did there. He prevented two runs from even coming into play. He took a guy out of scoring position in the eighth inning and he took a runner and held him at third base with his arm there, with the threat of his arm there. So in both instances you’re talking about preventing runs and that’s exactly what Stephen Kwan did.

Paul Hoynes (15:46.825)

And just think about this, Joe, he grew up.

in the Bay Area. grew up going to Giants games with his dad at that very ballpark. He said, you know, I remember where our seats were. I remember, you know, the vendors, the vendors are still the same. He went, he would go to the ballpark, Oracle Field, Oracle Park, you know, during that great run by the Giants when they won three straight, three World Series every two years, I think 2010, 2012, 2014. He was always there.

Joe Noga (16:15.341)

Mm-hmm.

Paul Hoynes (16:19.314)

had his brother Ryan in the stands last night and left center field. He said it was, know, it’s, you know, that, whatever the serendipity, is that what the word is or whatever it is that there was a lot of that going on last night.

Joe Noga (16:28.653)

Yes.

Joe Noga (16:33.685)

Yes, it was a serendipitous event for for Kwan to be there with his family his friends a whole contingent as well and you talk about another guy who sort of grew up a Giants fan grew up Going to games in the Bay Area Steven Vogt Really another sort of homecoming for him, you know, he makes his home in Olympia up in seattle in the seattle area but really he grew up in vasalia, I believe and

That’s closer to San Francisco that he was a Giants fan growing up. He played for the Giants for a time and just You know for him to be there a big weekend a big series this week against the the team he grew up rooting for just With him getting the news that he was going to be on the all-star coaching staff yesterday What was Stephen Vogt’s reaction? It had to be pretty overwhelming

Thank

Paul Hoynes (17:34.352)

Yeah, he first of all, he said, you know, coming back to, you know, Oracle Park.

Was like, you know, he grew like you said, Joe, he went to a lot of games here. He goes, you know, when you’re three years old, you dream about being in the big leagues. And, you know, that that was, that’s what I was reliving last night as, as managing at that ballpark. And as far as being picked as an all-star coach by Yankee manager, Aaron Boone, he was, he was thrilled by it. He had a great quote. said, you know, me and my family are going to go to, go to.

get to go to Atlanta, hang out and watch the best players in the world show off for two days. So it was kind of, it was kind of cool. You could tell he was excited. He was really anxious to, you know, talk to Aaron Boone, talk to the Yankees coach and staff, see how much he can learn from them. But mostly he said, it’s going to be fun just being around, you know, such great players and in such a great atmosphere. And him,

You know, being a two time All-Star as a player. he’s been there as a player. Now he’s going there as a manager.

Joe Noga (18:43.469)

I think it’s gonna be really neat to see Stephen vote and his family on the red carpet Doing that that that red carpet thing gonna be a throw for the kids there and for his wife Alyssa That that’s just outstanding for vote Now you mentioned talking to Aaron Boone. He said he wanted to sort of pick his brain. I think You know Stephen vote should do some Do some do some digging do some subterfuge, you know figure out what’s going on

with this Yankees coaching staff and maybe steal some of the secret sauce and get the Guardians over the hump and to the next level there.

Paul Hoynes (19:23.588)

Yeah, the Yankees keep turning him away in the postseason Joe. There’s gotta be some secrets to unravel there. We’ll have to see how what Stephen Vogt’s James Bond instincts are.

Joe Noga (19:35.554)

Yeah, that’d be great. The Raphael Devers trade sort of

Popped up on Sunday out of nowhere. Nobody expected it. Nobody Nobody understands it really I think is a lot of the reaction that we’re getting from the national pundits in sort of the aftermath guys already played a game now for for San Francisco Came up with an RBI double yesterday He this is really an instance of a superstar player You know Sort of not wanting to be there anymore

or after this miscommunication by the Red Sox and really trading for pennies on the dollar, what it seems like, what’s your take on the whole trade and how it was handled by Craig Breslow and did the giants just sort of happen into just this, they managed to pick up a superstar player for literally doing nothing.

Paul Hoynes (20:40.302)

Yeah, well, you know, I think, you know, Devers had poisoned the water in Boston. You know, he had, you know, and Boston obviously didn’t handle this situation.

Well from the get go as far as from outside looking in Joe, you know they sign up Bregman. They don’t, you know. Obviously they should have talked to Devers before that and and ask them would he move off at third base if we do this? He’s your he’s your face of your franchise player. You signed him to a $300 million contract in 2013 and here you are kind of dissing him. You know, at least that’s the you know the the opinion from the outside looking in by you know we bring in a

you’re out of there, you’re going to go DH and then your first baseman gets hurt, then your third baseman gets gets injured and then you ask him to go play. Hey, will you play first? What about third? And Divers are saying, hey, I put my gloves away. You told me to put my gloves away, I’m DHing. But I think that whole atmosphere in the Boston clubhouse, you had to remedy it and you had to trade them on Ford.

they have a reputation. Mookie Betts, they burned a bridge with him. Terry Frank Kona, they burned a bridge with him. And now Devers, your best player, you burned a bridge with him. did they get that? The thing is, Joe, you just don’t trade a player like that. Maybe at the deadline you do, but in the middle of June before the…

Joe Noga (21:56.61)

Mm-hmm.

Joe Noga (22:15.925)

or

Paul Hoynes (22:16.984)

And I don’t even know, and it sounds like they didn’t even really shop them around. They went to the Giants, the Giants said yes, and the deal was done.

Joe Noga (22:24.779)

Yeah, they wanted to send him physically as far away from Boston as they possibly could, just like they did with Betts. But…

Paul Hoynes (22:28.164)

Ha

Joe Noga (22:33.289)

Yeah, you look over and endeavors was taking ground balls at first base yesterday Which is the crazy thing? It’s like that’s what they wanted him to do in boston and he wouldn’t do it. Well He comes to the new team and the new team has a a need at first base and there might be a spot for him there so That that tells you all you need to know is that you know, it was never going to work out But you trade a guy like that or you trade a guy a player of his caliber Not two years after you signed into the 300

Paul Hoynes (22:38.339)

Yeah

Joe Noga (23:03.203)

million dollar contract but maybe two years from the end of that three hundred million dollar contract is when you trade him or try to and that’s just not just not the way Boston operated so kind of crazy to think about that but yeah he’s a power shift in in baseball now you know a player leaves Boston and goes to San Francisco and you know maybe the Giants are able to build around that and continue to challenge the the Dodgers in the West all right

That’s going to wrap up today’s edition of the Cleveland Baseball Talk podcast. Hope you guys enjoyed seeing us in our natural state. We’ll make improvements to that as we play around with this new video thing. But we’ll be back again tomorrow to check in and talk about game two of the series and a meeting with Justin Verlander. Hoynsey will talk to you then.

Paul Hoynes (23:56.368)

Joe.