Tanner Bibee is getting another chance to face the Yankees in the AL Championship Series. His first outing didn’t go well.
The right-handed pitcher will start for the Cleveland Guardians in Game 5 on Saturday after being taken out in the second inning of Game 2 by manager Stephen Vogt.
Vogt explained that bringing Bibee back on short rest was an easy decision, especially since it could be an elimination game, given how well he performed this season.
“He’s been our best pitcher all year,” Vogt said before Game 3 on Friday. “I can’t wait to get him back out there, and he feels good. He feels ready. He wants to pitch again, so we’re excited to have Tanner back out there.”
In his previous game against the Yankees, Bibee pitched only 1 1/3 innings and gave up five hits. Vogt replaced him with hard-throwing reliever Cade Smith in the second inning to face Aaron Judge.
“It’s not like I went out there and threw 100 pitches and about to go out there and do it again,” Bibee said. “I threw 39 pitches. I feel good. I’m ready to go. Vogter told me right after the game on Tuesday that it was a possibility that I could be starting. So I prepared like I was going to.”
Bibee will be up against New York’s Carlos Rodón, who won Game 1 by allowing only one run on three hits in six innings.
While Bibee was disappointed he didn’t get to pitch longer in Game 2, he understood Vogt’s decision.
“He’s given me some leash earlier on in the year, and it just comes down to trying to win the game, but I get that,” Bibee said. “It’s just some stuff I’m not going to like. But it’s not my job to like it. It’s my job to get outs.”
