The Cleveland Guardians had a massive day at Progressive Field on Sunday. Jose Ramírez hit two home runs to lead the team to an 8–4 win, clinching their series against the Baltimore Orioles.
But the real highlight came after the final out. Catcher Austin Hedges, who had scored the game’s first run, stayed on the playing surface to propose to his girlfriend, Lexi Dickinson.
With "Lexi, will you marry me?" flashing on the jumbotron and his teammates watching, she said yes. Hedges admitted he’d been carrying the ring since spring training, just waiting for the right moment.
The 33-year-old catcher and his fiancée, Lexi Dickinson, have been dating since Nov. 2024. Now in his 12th big-league season and his sixth with Cleveland, Hedges is a respected leader in the Guardians' clubhouse. That’s why so many of his teammates stayed on the grass after the game to watch him propose.
Hedges had the ring since February but waited months for the right moment. He admitted that his pregame anxiety was far higher than usual because of the impending proposal, describing it as a different frequency of nerves compared to normal game prep. However, he pulled it off on both counts.
"I was really hoping we won the game," Hedges told reporters. "I was going to do it regardless, but I really wanted to win that game to make it extra special."
In their convincing victory over the Orioles, Hedges finished 0-for-4 at the plate but made a significant impact on the basepaths and behind the dish. He scored the first run of the game in the third inning. After reaching first base on a fielding error, he hustled from first to third on a single and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly.
As the starting catcher, Hedges managed pitcher Joey Cantillo through a rocky start and won both of his challenges in the first two innings. Most importantly, the Guardians are now 8–0 this season when Hedges is the starting catcher.
However, Hedges won’t have much time to celebrate his proposal, as the Houston Astros are in town for a three-game series starting tonight at 6:10 p.m. ET.
But the Guardians are in a great spot. They just took three out of four from Baltimore to improve to 13–10. Hedges now heads into this series with both a series win and an engagement ring to his name.
