CLEVELAND — Guardians pitcher Tanner Bibee said he hopes to perform with "some anger" when he starts Game 5 of the American League Championship Series on Saturday night at Progressive Field .
Bibee explained "having an edge" is a key to him pitching well.
With the Guardians trailing the New York Yankees 2-1 in the best-of-seven series, Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt announced Friday evening ahead of Game 4 that Bibee would start Game 5 on Saturday night. Gavin Williams will start on the mound for the Guardians in Game 4 , which is set to begin at 8:08 p.m. Friday.
Bibee will pitch on short rest after starting Game 2 of the ALCS on Tuesday in the Bronx. He pitched 1⅓ innings during the Guardians' 6-3 loss, allowing three runs (two earned) and five hits, walking two (one intentional) and striking out two. He threw just 39 pitches, including 25 strikes, before Vogt removed him from the game.
"It's just one less light day pretty much," Bibee said. "I mean, it's not like I went out there and threw a hundred pitches and I'm about to go out there and do it again. I mean, I threw 39 pitches, so I feel good. I'm ready to go."
Vogt said the Guardians finalized their decision about Bibee in Game 5 after Cleveland's 7-5 win in Game 3 on Thursday night. Bibee said he has known since Tuesday night it was a possibility.
"He's been our best pitcher all year," Vogt said. "I can't wait to get him back out there, and he feels good. He feels ready. He wants to pitch again [Saturday], so we're excited to have Tanner back out there.
"We really had to see how Tanner felt getting off the mound [Thursday] to make sure [he could start Game 5]. Player health, to me, is No. 1. I don't ever want to put any of our guys into a position that's going to jeopardize the rest of their career, and I don't care if it's the postseason. So I wanted to make sure that Tanner felt 100% comfortable with taking the ball [Saturday]."
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First pitch for Game 5 is scheduled for 8:08 p.m. Saturday in Cleveland. New York's Carlos Rodón will start opposite Bibee.
Bibee, 25, was frustrated about being ousted in the second inning of Game 2, Vogt said.
"They got to him early, and I felt like it was time to move on," Vogt said. "I don't ever expect Tanner to want to come out or be OK with coming out of any game ever, and it took him a day to really get back. But right away when I talked to him about possibly starting Game 5, he wanted it.
"Tanner's somebody I trust. Tanner's somebody I want with the ball in his hand at all times. There's times in the postseason where you have to make an unpopular decision as a manager, and I had to make one that night. But that doesn't mean that Tanner's not taking the mound with all of my confidence in him [Saturday], so I can't wait to watch him pitch again."
Bibee said he understood Vogt's decision in Game 2, even though it didn't please him.
"He's given me some leash earlier on in the year, and, I mean, it just comes down to trying to win the game," Bibee said. "But I get that it's a tough job for me and for him. So it's just some stuff I'm not going to like. Some stuff I'm going to like. But it's not my job to like it. It's my job to get outs."
In the postseason, Bibee has made three starts and worked 10 total innings. He has given up five runs (four earned), 13 hits and five walks (one intentional). He has struck out 11 and hit a batter. He's 0-1 with a 3.60 ERA.
In the 2024 regular season, Bibee went 12-8 in 31 starts and finished with a 3.47 ERA. He surrendered 70 runs (67 earned), 150 hits and 44 walks and struck out 187 in 173⅔ innings.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Pitcher Tanner Bibee will start for Guardians in ALCS Game 5 vs. Yankees
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