Cleveland Guardians ace Shane Bieber was in vintage form on Tuesday afternoon.
He completely dominated the Chicago White Sox offense, limiting them to just a single run in a complete-game victory for Cleveland.
The game finished 4-1 for the Guards, who are now 43-42 and have won two straight games after a bit of a rough patch.
Bieber made some history with his gem.
“Shane Bieber becomes the first Cleveland pitcher to throw a nine-inning complete game with fewer than 100 pitches since Corey Kluber on Aug. 4, 2018,” Mandy Bell, who covers the Guardians for MLB.com, tweeted after the game.
Shane Bieber becomes the first Cleveland pitcher to throw a nine-inning complete game with fewer than 100 pitches since Corey Kluber on Aug. 4, 2018.
(h/t @SlangsOnSports)
— Mandy Bell (@MandyBell02) July 12, 2022
She credited Sarah Langs for the useful bit of data.
Bieber only needed 95 pitches to complete the incredible game.
Strikeouts And Groundouts Aided Bieber’s Gem
He was aided by the strikeout (he punched out seven in the afternoon) and, especially, the ground ball.
He found 15 outs on the ground and just four in the air.
Groundballs are much more convenient and easier to manager for hitters, and Bieber’s stuff forced lots of them today.
All in all, he pitched nine frames with just three hits and the run on his record.
He walked no one, further increasing his chances.
He handled a pretty good White Sox lineup that included Tim Anderson, Yoan Moncada, Eloy Jimenez, Jose Abreu, and youngster Andrew Vaughn, among others.
With the good game, Bieber is now 4-5 for the season, but with a really solid 3.24 ERA and 1.13 WHIP.
That’s not close to the form that took him to win the Cy Young award in 2020, but it’s legitimate ace material.
As long as the Guardians get similar outings from Bieber, they will have a chance to make the playoffs.
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