The Guardians may be leaning hard on their bullpen, but Tanner Bibee could still be part of the picture before this series is over.
Cleveland.com insider Paul Hoynes said not to rule out a postseason appearance for Bibee, even though it likely would not come in his usual starting role. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
I still think there’s a chance we’ll see Bibee pitch in an ALCS game. It probably won’t be as a starter, but he could make a relief appearance,” Hoynes wrote.
That possibility is suddenly a little more relevant with the ALCS schedule tightened by Friday’s Game 4 rainout. Cleveland entered the series carrying 13 pitchers, and manager Stephen Vogt has already been willing to mix and match with his staff. Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis and Erik Sabrowski have been regular late-game options, while Daniel Espino has also popped up in some key early innings.
Bibee’s only postseason work so far came in Game 4 of the ALDS, when he was sent in after Jose Ramirez’s two-run homer gave Cleveland a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth. Bibee began the fifth, walked the leadoff hitter, struck out the next batter, then issued another walk before Vogt pulled him with runners on first and second. He threw 15 pitches, and only six went for strikes.
Tim Herrin followed, and Chicago pushed back ahead 4-3 after a single, a hit-by-pitch and a sacrifice fly. Cleveland still answered, won 9-5 in Game 5, took the series, and now holds a 2-1 lead over the Rays in the ALCS.
For Game 4, the Guardians are sticking with Shawn Armstrong as the opener, which could leave Bibee, Slade Cecconi or Joey Cantillo available in a bulk role behind him. Cecconi was not on the ALDS roster, but he has already worked one inning in the ALCS, while Cantillo has logged 2.2 innings across two postseason outings.
With as many as four high-intensity games coming over the next four days, Cleveland’s pitching staff is headed for a full-scale sprint. Bibee may not be starting, but he still looks like a real candidate to be called on when the Guardians need outs most.
In Other News...
Guardians Loss May Have Quietly Set Up The Rest Of This Series
The Guardians did enough early to make Game 4 feel like a chance to even the ALCS, but the game slipped away once the Rays pushed across runs in the sixth and seventh innings. Even so, the loss may not have been as damaging as it first looked, because Cleveland managed to avoid leaning too heavily on the bullpen and preserve its most important relief arms for the rest of the series.
That matters with the matchup still hanging in the balance, especially after Tampa Bay also went through several pitchers in the same game. Both clubs now have some moving pieces to sort through on the mound, and the way each staff is managed over the next few days could end up shaping the rest of the series just as much as the score from Game 4. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Face A Real October Decision On Travis Bazzana
Travis Bazzana has given the Guardians enough at the plate to keep his name in the lineup conversation, but the glove has made things a little less straightforward as October has worn on. The rookie second baseman has flashed real offensive value, yet his seven errors at the position have become hard to ignore, and the latest reminder came in a recent game against the Rays.
Stephen Vogt has already shown he is willing to make a late-game switch at second, turning to Angel Genao in postseason situations to tighten things up defensively. So the question hanging over Cleveland is a familiar one for any contender with a young infielder in the spotlight: how much offense can they afford to keep in the lineup if the defense keeps giving away outs? [Read more 🡒]
Travis Bazzana May Have Just Changed Cleveland's ALCS Outlook
Travis Bazzana delivered his best postseason game yet in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series, reaching base three times against the Tampa Bay Rays and giving Cleveland a jolt when it needed one. The rookie second baseman finished with a home run, a walk, a run scored and an RBI, and his first career playoff homer helped spark a rally even in a loss.
For a Guardians lineup that has been searching for steady production in a tight series, Bazzana's timing mattered almost as much as the box score. Cleveland did not finish the job, but the performance helped level the matchup at two games apiece and hinted at a player who may be starting to settle into the postseason stage at exactly the right time. [Read more 🡒]