Third baseman Jose Ramirez broke a 4-4 tie in the fifth inning with a massive homer and the visiting Cleveland Guardians beat the Washington Nationals 6-4 on Saturday in the second game of a three-game series.

The game was delayed by 1 hour and 40 minutes by thunderstorms and showers in Washington, but the Nationals came out swinging in the bottom of the first, scoring three runs off Cleveland right-hander Zach Plesac (1-0) as the weather cleared up.

The Nationals pieced together four hits off Plesac, with an RBI single by Joey Meneses, a double from Jeimer Candelario driving in Meneses, and a single from Keibert Ruiz scoring Candelario for a 3-0 lead.

Cleveland struck back with a hustle run in the top of the second when Andres Gimenez beat out an infield single, stole second and scored on Myles Straw’s RBI single to center to make it 3-1.

The Guardians tied the game in the top of the fourth when Washington starter Chad Kuhl lost his command, issuing a pair of walks. Cleveland capitalized with RBI singles from Will Brennan and Straw, who went 3-for-4, for a 3-3 tie.

The Nationals went ahead again 4-3 in the bottom of the fourth when Ruiz, who had three hits, doubled into the right-center field gap, scoring Luis Garcia, who had singled, from first.

That lead, too, was short-lived as Kuhl gave up Amed Rosario’s triple off the center field wall and Ramirez followed with his first homer of the year — a towering 420-foot shot over the right-field bullpens into the second deck — for a 5-4 Guardians lead.

Kuhl (0-1) lasted just 4 2/3 innings for the Nationals, responsible for five runs, seven hits and three walks with two strikeouts.

The Guardians tacked on an insurance run in the top of the ninth when Josh Bell knocked his third double of the series into left field to score Oscar Gonzalez for a 6-4 lead.

Elite closer Emmanuel Clase, who led the majors in saves in 2022, pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his fifth save.

–Field Level Media