The Guardians are carrying a 2-1 ALCS lead into Game 4 against the Rays, and Tanner Bibee says the confidence inside Cleveland’s clubhouse isn’t hard to understand.
“We know that we can beat anyone,” Guardians pitcher Tanner Bibee told reporters ahead of Game 4, via MLB Network Radio. “I feel like we (Cleveland pitchers) have some of the best stuff in the Major Leagues. I think everyone is starting to see that now… I think it's just being consistent, as even keel as possible.
“That's the main thing right now, especially in the playoffs and tensions can get a little high, and there's a lot of energy and adrenaline.”
Game 4 was scheduled for Friday night, but rain pushed the start into delay status. If the game gets played later Friday or spills into Saturday, Cleveland will still arrive with the same cushion after taking three games to one.
That belief from Bibee comes with some context. He made 33 starts in the regular season, though his year was uneven, and he has only appeared once out of the bullpen in this postseason. Even so, the Guardians may still call on him Friday in relief, with Shawn Armstrong listed as the scheduled starter for a bullpen game.
A win in Game 4 would put Cleveland in a strong position in the series, but the Guardians aren’t expecting an easy path. Tampa Bay won 98 games in the regular season, and Cleveland knows the Rays have enough to keep fighting.
Still, the message from the Guardians is clear: they like where they are, they trust their arms, and they believe they can keep pushing toward a World Series run.
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The pitching wrinkle adds another layer to an already pivotal matchup, with right-hander Shawn Armstrong set to start for Cleveland against Rays right-hander Nick Martinez. For a club that has spent this series trying to keep control of the matchup, the altered schedule and the announced starting assignment only sharpen the focus on a game that could tilt the ALCS in a major way. [Read more 🡒]