Shane Bieber dominated the Tampa Bay Rays working 7.1-innings allowing just one earned run on three hits while striking out eight and walking one.
Jose Siri gave Tampa Bay a 1-0 lead with a solo homer off Bieber in the top of the sixth inning. The Guardians countered in the bottom of the inning when Jose Ramirez blasted a 2-run homer off Rays starter Shane McClanahan in what proved to be the only runs the Guardians needed. Emmanuel Clase recored the final four outs to pick up the save and give the Guardians the 1-0 lead in the best of 3 Wild Card matchup.
Shane McClanahan was nearly as equally as dominant as his counterpart working seven innigns allowing two earned runs on seven hits while striking out five and walking none. The only mistake he made was surrendering the 2-run homer to Jose Ramirez in the bottom of the sixth.
“One pitch to a really good hitter and ultimately that’s the difference.” That’s how McClanahan summed up his start after the game. He felt he left hte ball up. “He’s such a good hitter [Jose Ramirez], you’re not going to fool him with a bad pitch.”
Rays Manager Kevin Cash felt that the game was a showcase between two really good pitchers. He gives a lot of credit to Shane Bieber for shutting his offense down. “He’s got three different breaking balls. He’s got a big curveball, a hard curveball, the slider, and the cutter that he can go to.” Cash said. “He had great feel for all of them.”
The Rays will look to stave off elimination and force a winner take all Sunday matchup with Tyler Glasnow on the mound Saturday afternoon at 12:07 p.m. Cleveland will counter with right hander Triston McKenzie.
