For the third straight series the Guardians avoided a sweep after losing the first two games, winning 4-1 over the Colorado Rockies. During the Guardians' six-game homestand their two wins occurred with a Guardians pitcher striking out eight batters in his MLB debut. On Sunday, Logan Allen was victorious in the team's 7-4 win over the Marlins, and today Tanner Bibee flashed. With his family in attendance, and facing a series sweep, he struck out eight batters in 5 2/3 innings, including five straight between the second and third innings. Bibee did not walk a batter and did not allow a run to score until the sixth inning despite hitting the first batter he faced, Charlie Blackmon.
Offensively, the team outproduced its previous two games in the first inning. With Josh Naylor's two-out, two-run home run the Guardians also led for the first time this series. Then in the fourth Andrew Gimenez and Oscar Gonzalez hit back-to-back doubles, scoring Gimenez and extending the Guardians' lead to 3-0.
The Rockies got on the board in the sixth after Juricskon Profar hit a leadoff double in the sixth, then scored on Kris Bryant's bloop single to right field, landing just short of a sliding Oscar Gonzalez. Tanner Bibee forced the next batter, CJ Cron, to ground into a double play, but allowed a single before leaving the game with a standing ovation and allowing Eli Morgan to retire the next batter and end the Rockies' threat.
Andres Gimenez was hit by a pitch to start the eighth inning, then reached third base on Myles Straw's single. Will Brennan deflected a ground ball off of pitcher Brad Hand, allowing Gimenez to score. Emmanuel Clase allowed a two-out single, but retired the other three batters he faced to notch his 8th save, and to preserve Cleveland's 4-1 victory. German Marquez took the loss, and left the game after sustaining an injury. He allowed three runs on six hits and struck out four batters in 3 2/3 innings.
For the Guardians, Jose Ramirez, Josh Naylor, Andres Gimenez and Oscar Gonzalez each collected two hits, while only Kris Bryant recorded two hits for the Rockies.
Despite the win, this is the Guardians' third consecutive series loss, each time winning the final game after losing the first two. The Guardians improve to 12-13 overall, but are 4-8 at home and have posted identical 1-2 records in each series (Mariners, Yankees, Marlins, Rockies). However, the Guardians are 8-5 on the road, and after tomorrow's off day will begin a six-game trip on Friday at 7:10 PM - three against the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, each. Last season the Guardians were 2-5 against the Red Sox, but split the four-game series at Fenway Park.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 26: Starting pitcher Tanner Bibee #61 of the Cleveland Guardians pitches during the first inning in his major league debut against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on April 26, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio.Photo: Nick Cammett/Getty Images