The first game of the Wild Card series between the Cleveland Guardians and the Tampa Bay Rays was just as expected: a low-scoring affair between two teams who boasts some of the best pitching staffs in the league, but with middle-of-the-pack offenses.
The Guards won 2-1 behind a truly masterful performance by their ace, Shane Bieber.
Tampa Bay’s starter Shane McClanahan, a Cy Young candidate in the American League, was almost as good, but a two-run homer he conceded to Jose Ramirez was the difference.
Bieber also surrendered a home run to Jose Siri that actually put Tampa in front for a brief time, but was otherwise dominant.
“Pure DOMINANCE from Shane Bieber: 7.2 Innings, 8 Strikeouts, 3 Hits, 1 Run, W: @CleGuardians take Game 1,” MLB Network tweeted on Friday afternoon.
Pure DOMINANCE from Shane Bieber:
7.2 Innings
8 Strikeouts
3 Hits
1 Run
W@CleGuardians take Game 1 👀 #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/X6Pu5Kx87Y— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) October 7, 2022
It Was Bieber Day In Cleveland
Bieber’s command was on point today, as he pounded the zone with fastballs in the corners.
He was often ahead in the count, which allowed him to use his slider to chase swinging strikes; and he achieved it for the most part.
The Rays offense was able to get just three hits off Bieber, who pitched like the ace he is.
The 2020 AL Cy Young award winner put the team on his back today and gave Cleveland an important win.
Tomorrow’s game just became a must-win affair for the Rays, who will be sending Tyler Glasnow to the mound.
Cleveland, on the other hand, has some margin for error, in the sense that they could lose tomorrow and still be alive for a winner-take-all matchup on Sunday.
The crowd at Progressive Field was explosive today, and surely helped the Guardians feel at home and strike first.
NEXT: The Guardians Dropped The Ultimate Hype Video