The Cleveland Guardians forced a Game 5 in their ALDS matchup against the Detroit Tigers and will host the winner-take-all game Saturday afternoon at Progressive Field.

It certainly wasn't easy for the Guardians, who were shut out in Games 2 and 3 before bouncing back with a 5-4 win in Game 4.

Cleveland is under a lot of pressure heading into this matchup, but who is bearing the brunt of the pressure?

Here are the three Guardians players under the most pressure heading into Game 5.

Normally you wouldn't expect a relatively light-hitting second baseman to take much of a load in a playoff series, but in the case of Andres Gimenez, things are different.

Why? Because Gimenez was the most important player the Guardians received in return from the New York Mets in the Francisco Lindor trade, and he has only one hit in 15 plate appearances against the Tigers. He also struck out six times in the series.

Gimenez is best known for his glove, but that .205 OPS in these playoffs is ugly, and he owns a lifetime OPS of .348 in 11 postseason games. It's time for Gimenez – who actually posted an OPS of .837 in 2022 – to get started.

During the regular season, Emmanuel Clase was virtually unbeatable. He posted a 0.61 ERA and a 0.659 WHIP. He boasted a ridiculous 674 ERA+. He drew comparisons to Mariano Rivera and more.

However, during the ALDS it was a different story.

Clase gave up a game-winning three-run home run to Kerry Carpenter in Game 2, and he also gave up a run in Game 4.

Sure, the sample size is small, but this is a closer who hasn't produced a single earned run since August. Playoff baseball is certainly different, and Clase is finding that out the hard way.

The Guardians will need the 26-year-old to be much better if a save situation arises in Game 5.

That brings us to Cleveland's most important player: Jose Ramirez.

Ramirez hit a massive home run in the fifth inning of Game 4, but he's just 2-for-14 for the entire series. That's not enough for a six-time All-Star with significant playoff experience.

If the Guardians lose Game 5 and Ramirez has a poor performance, a lot of the blame for the series loss will undoubtedly be placed on him, especially considering the fact that Cleveland's pitching was actually good in the early going.

Additionally, Ramirez has a career OPS of .642 in 36 playoff games. If he were to perform in New York or another major market, you would know what label he would have at this point. Just ask Aaron Judge.

Let's see if Ramirez can deliver in the final game.