Cleveland’s strong bullpen showed its power. After performing well for months, the Guardians’ relievers started October with another impressive, hitless display in a 7-0 victory over the Detroit Tigers in Game 1 of the AL Division Series.
Right now, there’s nothing more intimidating in baseball. The Tigers got exactly what they expected.
“I thought they were going to use their big boys at the end,” Detroit manager A.J. Hinch said, “and they ended up doing it.”
The Guardians’ bullpen, which had the best ERA in the league, worked together for 4 1/3 hitless innings after starter Tanner Bibee kept the Tigers scoreless on four hits.
When Bibee came out, rookie Cade Smith, Tim Herrin, Hunter Gaddis, and closer Emmanuel Clase, who led the league with 47 saves and hasn’t missed one in 34 attempts since May, took over.
The Guardians matched the largest shutout in postseason history.
Although Bibee wanted to pitch longer in his first playoff start, he was fine with handing the ball to his manager.
“I always want to stay out there,” Bibee said. “I mean, it’s postseason. I totally get it. With how good our ‘pen has been, I get it. It makes sense. Obviously I want to stay out there as long as possible, but I get it.”
After Bibee allowed a two-out single in the fifth, Vogt brought in Smith, a hard-throwing right-hander who struck out 103 batters in 75 1/3 innings. Smith struck out Kerry Carpenter to end the fifth and then fanned Matt Vierling, Riley Greene, and Colt Keith—Detroit’s 3-4-5 hitters—in the sixth and called it a day.
Smith is the first pitcher in postseason history to strike out every batter he faced in a debut of at least 1 1/3 innings. Vogt wasn’t surprised by Smith’s first playoff performance.
