Through butterflies and elation, Bibee stays ‘as steady as possible’

CLEVELAND — Tanner Bibee walked off the mound with two outs in the fifth inning to a roaring cheer from the sellout crowd at Progressive Field. Halfway to the Guardians’ dugout, he threw his hands in the air, firing up the 33,548 fans in attendance. If possible, they got even louder.

The Guardians’ 25-year-old ace craved the postseason stage. He had butterflies in the days leading up to Game 1 of Saturday’s American League Division Series against the Tigers. He wanted to feel that energy in the stadium. He delivered on it.

“I mean, the past three days felt like there was a lead block in my stomach,” Bibee said. “I think once I kind of got through that first inning, it was a nice weight off the shoulders. To kind of get that first one out of the way was pretty nice. … [Walking off the mound] was a pretty cool moment. I feel like, I don’t know, man, it was just all natural. I think those first five innings took forever. When I finally got off the mound, I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh.’”

Bibee tossed 4 2/3 scoreless innings, as he and the Guardians’ electric bullpen shut out the Tigers in a 7-0 win to open the ALDS. Bibee became the first Cleveland starter to make his playoff debut in the club’s postseason opener since Shane Bieber in Game 1 of the 2020 AL Wild Card Series against the Yankees.

Ironically, since Bieber went down in the first week of the 2024 season, Bibee has been the ace of the staff, rising to the challenge while leading the Guardians in innings pitched (173 2/3), starts (31), quality starts (12) and strikeouts (187) in the regular season.

On Saturday afternoon, he looked exactly like the guy Cleveland needed to fill Bieber’s shoes. Bibee wasn’t perfect, but he did everything the Guardians could’ve asked of him in his postseason debut.

Bibee was gifted a five-run lead after one inning, and he kept it that way throughout his entire outing. Despite throwing 27 pitches in the first frame, Bibee navigated his way through a gritty Tigers lineup, allowing four hits and a walk while striking out six to maintain control of the game.

While the excitement in the dugout was through the roof after the offensive explosion in the first inning, Bibee knew he had to stay locked in to keep things on the right track.

“It’s definitely tough,” said Bibee. “It was awesome. That’s kind of what we’ve been built on. I feel like, for me, I was trying to stay as steady as possible. Because if they put up five in the first, then I go out there and give up a couple runs, that five doesn’t mean as much. At that point you gotta get excited, but you gotta stay locked in for that next inning, because the next inning at that point in the game is the most important inning of the game.”

Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt wanted to be aggressive and creative in going to the bullpen, especially with the number of off-days throughout the ALDS. So it shouldn’t be too shocking that he delivered a quick hook for Bibee, with one on and two out in the fifth inning after just 76 pitches.

“I always want them to go deep in the games,” Vogt said. “I thought the way Tanner was throwing the ball, the first inning was a little bit of adrenaline, put some good at-bats, got his pitch count up, but then he settled in there really well in [innings] two through four. But at that point, with the five-run lead, third time around [the order], [Parker] Meadows gets the single and it was time to go to the bullpen.”

Bibee wanted the ball. He always does. But it’s hard to argue with the bullpen behind him.

The Guardians’ reliever quartet of Cade Smith, Tim Herrin, Hunter Gaddis and Emmanuel Clase dominated the Tigers, allowing just one baserunner — a walk yielded by Herrin — and combining for seven strikeouts over the final 4 1/3 innings. It was just the seventh time that a Cleveland bullpen has tossed that many or more scoreless frames in a postseason game, and the first time since Game 1 of the 2022 ALDS against the Yankees.

So, yes, Bibee understood the situation.

“It’s postseason,” Bibee said. “I totally get it. With how good our ‘pen has been, I get it. It makes sense. Obviously, I want to stay out there as long as possible, but I get it. …They’ve done it all year, and they’re going to continue to do it.”