Cleveland- The Guardians were coming off a five-day break before hosting the Tigers for the ALDS. The rest didn’t negatively affect the team as some had speculated. In fact, they appeared rejuvenated and clearly on a mission to win.
Tanner Bibee didn’t factor in the decision but hurled a gem. Cleveland’s ace went 4.2 innings allowing only four hits and no runs while recording six strikeouts. Any nerves he may have had in the first inning were quelled as he struck out the side in the 2nd. Bibee is the sixth pitcher in club history to throw 4.2 or more scoreless innings in his postseason debut.
Pitching
Photo by Charles Murray
Bibee visibly showed that he did not want to leave the mound. As he entered the dugout he waved his hands to the crowd encouraging their cheers and feeding into the energy.
After the game Bibee spoke saying,
“The past three days felt like there was a lead block in my stomach but I felt like after getting through that first inning there was a nice weight off my shoulders. Shane (Bieber) was here today and he talked to me and gave me some pointers. Ever since I made my debut last year, Shane’s kind of like been my mentor. His words before the game really helped me.”
Offense
The Guardians offense backed up Bibee plating five runs in the 1st inning. Steven Kwan lined a double off the right-field wall to lead off the bottom of the 1st. This signaled his 5th career lead-off hit in the Postseason, tying Kenny Lofton for the most in franchise history. Kwan has hit safely in 6-consecutive playoff contests dating back to 2022, batting .417 (10-for-24) with 2 doubles and one home run in that span.
Joining in the fun, Lane Thomas launched a 3-run homer in his first career Postseason plate appearance, becoming the 2nd player in Cleveland history to do so.
Cleveland’s bullpen combined for 4.1 scoreless innings in relief of Bibee marking the 7th time Cleveland’s bullpen has tossed 4.1-or-more scoreless chapters in a Postseason game.
Tiger’s skipper A.J. Hinch spoke on the Guardians’ bullpen after the game.
“This is a five-game series for a reason and we’re going to see a lot of this bullpen and the more looks you can get the better and we are trying to do anything we can to make it game. I thought they were gonna use their big boys at the end and they ended up doing it– the hope is to put something together to put even more pressure on them – at the very least try to give some guys who are going to be in the lineup a look at these guys. No matter how good they are the more you look at them hopefully the more comfortable you get despite how good they are.”
Cool the Tigers
Photo by Charles Murray
The Tigers came to Progressive Field riding a wave of wins. Cleveland handed them a blow which was exactly what needed to happen to stop their momentum. The Guardians win earned Steven Vogt the honor of being the first Clevelander to win a Postseason game in his first year as manager in club history.
The energy and work ethic of this team is special and that is shown by their play on the field. Players use that word “special” all the time in describing the camaraderie amongst the Guardians. The first game of the series showcased Cleveland’s pitching and offense. They will look to go up two games on Monday with first pitch at 4:08.
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