The Cleveland Guardians got back to their winning ways.
Led by some clutch hitting and a strong performance on the mound, Stephen Vogt’s team ended a five-game losing streak in the series finale against the Houston Astros.
The Guardians broke loose with a two-run seventh inning after the Astros tied the game with two runs off Bibee, who had been virtually untouchable for the first six frames.
Bibee’s dominant outing was almost spoiled after not getting a call on a two-strike breaking ball to Cam Smith, who ultimately got him with a game-tying two-run double.
He left the game with six strikeouts and no walks, and allowed just five hits and two earned runs to get his sixth quality start of the campaign.
When asked about his performance, Vogt admitted that he could’ve even finished the game (via Joe Noga, Cleveland.com):
“Manager Stephen Vogt called Bibee’s outing ‘special,'” Noga wrote.
“He could have gone eight, nine innings today with the stuff he had, just making pitches when he needed to,” Vogt said. “This is second or third outing where he’s had everything in his arsenal, and the quick outs he was getting today — that was as efficient as we’ve seen him.”
Fortunately for the Guardians’ ace, his team was quick to get back on top thanks to their signature timely hitting.
They’ve scored 85 runs in the sixth inning or later since May 1, which ranks second in the American League during that span.
The Guardians’ bullpen also played a big part in the win, with Cade Smith striking out three in 1.2 innings to get the win, while Emmanuel Clase got his 14th save of the season.
Notably, this was the first Guardians’ home win against the Astros in nearly two years, and it prevented yet another series sweep.
Now, they’ll host the Cincinnati Reds at Progressive Field on Monday for another three-game series.
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