Ex-Cleveland star Jason Kipnis reflects on Rajai Davis’ incredible Game 7 home run

Certain feats transcend the outcome of a game and produce enough emotion to last a lifetime. One of the biggest moments in Cleveland baseball history actually came in one of the franchise’s most painful losses, as Rajai Davis hit a two-run homer off potential Hall of Fame closer Aroldis Chapman in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series. Progressive Field erupted in bliss, a sensation that Jason Kipnis can still recall a decade later.

While celebrating the 10th anniversary of the franchise’s American League pennant-winning season, the former All-Star second baseman explained the special place that heroic dinger still holds in his heart today.

“Ive gone back and watched that one highlight more than anything else,” Kipnis told NEO Sports Insiders’ Natalie Turk. “It’s not only just the highlight… The noise, I’m getting chills right now, but for the first time, I felt, ‘oh, that’s what pandemonium is.’ It’s hard to describe, but just the noise and everybody going crazy and the momentum shift and just what it meant to us right there, God you could run through a wall right then and there.”

I asked Jason Kipnis how the Rajai Davis home run in Game 7 felt for him as a player. He said it gives him chills now to talk about it. pic.twitter.com/XTvWeaGt3G

— Natalie (@nats_sportschat) May 16, 2026

Facing two outs and two strikes in the bottom of the eighth inning, an offensively-limited outfielder most known for his elite base-running skills tied the score with one of the most famous home runs in Cleveland’s long existence. The Chicago Cubs ultimately secured an 8-7 victory in extra innings and ended their century-plus championship drought, but Davis’ clutch seven-pitch at-bat obviously still makes a strong impression on Kipnis and everyone else who experienced it in real time.

Moreover, that treasured homer encapsulates the resilience the Cleveland Guardians continue to embody today. The Cubs’ World Series quest was the big story, but the AL champs were trying to end their own dry spell (have not won a Fall Classic since 1948). Rajai Davis, who also notched an RBI single in the 10th inning amid a second comeback attempt, gave people a reason to be proud despite a disappointing result.

When fans recall that 2016 showdown with Chicago, many will inevitably think about how Cleveland squandered a 3-1 series lead. Though, when that heartbreak starts to sting again, that 364-foot shot to left field can temporarily transport the city to what Jason Kipnis aptly described as the epitome of pandemonium.

While the Guardians celebrate the 2016 run and prepare for their own momentous journey this season, they would do well to strive for that one-of-a-kind bedlam.

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