The postponement of Game 5 of the ALDS last night helped open the door for the New York Yankees to start Nestor Cortes on short rest.
The Cleveland Guardians have also announced their starter for this afternoon.
Aaron Civale was the original scheduled starter for the Guardians last night, but it was expected by many that the Guardians would select Shane Bieber to start today’s game.
However, the Guardians appear to be staying the course and sticking with Civale.
The 27-year-old right-hander started 20 games this year, going posting a 5-6 record and a 49.2 ERA in 97 innings pitched.
Today’s game will get underway at 4:07 p.m. Eastern Time.
Aaron Civale will start today for Cleveland.
— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) October 18, 2022
Civale Gets The Call For Game 5
This is an interesting decision made by manager Terry Francona.
It might have made more sense for the Guardians to start Bieber on short rest in order to secure a trip to the ALCS.
But Civale will be getting the start today for the Guardians.
This does not mean we won’t see Bieber at some point in today’s game.
Bieber will likely be available in the bullpen if things go south for Cleveland.
The Guardians may decide to have Civale on a short leash for this afternoon’s game and only let him go through the Yankees lineup once.
They could then have Bieber come in and eat some innings to try and keep the Yankees at bay.
The Guardians and Yankees split the first two games of the series at Yankee Stadium.
Gerrit Cole pitched a gem in the opener and the Guardians battled back late to win Game 2.
Cleveland took a 2-1 lead with a walk-off win in Game 3 before Cole took the mound again in Game 4 and dominated the Guardians over seven innings of work.
NEXT: The Guardians Are Used To Schedule Adjustments In 2022