'It was a cool moment': Freeman hits first MLB homer vs. Toronto

TORONTO -- The home run was over a year in the making. Tyler Freeman almost missed it.

Freeman launched his first Major League homer in the fifth inning of the Guardians’ 8-3 loss to the Blue Jays on Saturday afternoon. He swung with gusto, too, which caused his helmet to bobble and cover his eyes as the ball began its 364-foot journey to left field at Rogers Centre.

“I didn’t even see where it went, to be honest,” Freeman said with a laugh. “I was looking up with my helmet all the way down, but yeah. It’s one of those games where it happened.”

He lost sight of it, but the screams from the visitors’ dugout were unmistakable.

“Teammates jumping up and down,” he said. “The first voice I heard was [Steven] Kwan’s. It was cool, it was a cool moment.”

It was also Freeman at his best. Not known for being a power hitter, Cleveland’s 2022 No. 5 prospect waited 178 at-bats for his first big league homer. After grounding out against lefty Hyun Jin Ryu in the third, the 24-year-old turned on the first pitch he saw in the fifth -- a 66 mph curveball that landed in the Blue Jays’ bullpen.

That solo blast cut the Guardians' deficit to 5-2, but they fell short of a comeback.

Saturday’s loss put the Guardians 6 1/2 games back of the Twins for the American League Central lead -- with Minnesota scheduled to play the Rangers later in the evening.

“That's part of baseball,” said Freeman. “Sometimes, we're not going to pull through, but that's why we look at the next day.”

This has been a season of learning for Freeman. The infielder debuted on Aug. 3 last year, carving out 24 games between shortstop, second and third base. A tepid Spring Training contributed to his start at Triple-A Columbus this season, but Freeman earned two callups in late April (both in doubleheaders) and another in May.

It wasn’t until June that he found a more consistent spot with the Major League team, though.

Freeman hit .300 (18-for-60) with four doubles and six RBIs between June and July, embodying the prospect reports that described him as a talented bat-to-ball hitter, albeit with little pop.

A right shoulder strain sent Freeman to the injured list on Aug. 4. When he returned, on Aug. 15, his bat was slow to follow. Freeman was 1-for-16 entering Saturday since his return, and he was still searching for that elusive homer.

“[After] making my debut last year, there was always the next step,” said Freeman. “[This time], it was the home run. It just took a little longer than usual.”

No one expects one swing of the bat to fix everything, but it goes a long way in boosting the confidence of young and veteran hitters alike. That’s also the hope for José Ramírez, who hit a homer of his own on Saturday amid a cold spell in August.

If Freeman’s homer was a tape-measure blast, Ramírez’s was all power. He barreled an 0-1 fastball to left field with an exit velocity of 104.2 mph in the top of the first for his 20th of the year. It propelled Ramírez to his fifth season with 20 homers and 20 stolen bases.

But Cleveland couldn’t muster much offense beyond that, scoring just once in a bases-loaded, no-out top of the sixth, when Ramón Laureano was hit by a pitch to bring in a run.

“They kind of looked like they were trying to implode,” said manager Terry Francona. “A couple of errors, a hit batsman and we only got one [run]. That was a real big opportunity for us.”

After a brilliant performance in Friday night’s win, Cleveland’s pitching couldn’t hold back a powerful Toronto lineup for a second straight day -- even with the help of some stellar defense on the infield.

Freeman, who got the start at third base, played a key factor on that side, too.

With one out and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on first in the bottom of the first inning, Freeman gloved a chopper down the line from George Springer, leaping as he spun to toss a perfect strike to second baseman Andrés Giménez and nab Guerrero for the forceout.

That play came immediately after the Guardians’ first defensive highlight of the day, when Giménez teamed up with Gabriel Arias to throw out Bo Bichette at second on a diving stop and a no-look flip.

“It’s really cool to see him make that kind of play,” starter Logan Allen said of Giménez. “He’s a Gold Glover for a reason. … These guys are awesome, there's no secret about that. These guys have been laying it on the line every single day.”