Cleveland rookie right-hander Tanner Bibee will aim to continue his torrid stretch on Thursday night when the Guardians open a four-game series against the visiting Kansas City Royals.
Bibee (5-2, 3.46 ERA) won his third straight start on Saturday after scattering three hits and matching a season best with nine strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings in a 6-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs.
The 24-year-old was taken out of the game before he could record the final out in the sixth inning, much to his chagrin. Bibee previously said that one of his primary goals this season is to pitch at least six innings in every start.
“It’s one of the most important things you can do as a pitcher is battle through whatever is going on negatively in your outing,” Bibee said, per Cleveland.com. “Being able to fight through the negatives, and bridge the bridge into the next positive, I think is one of the most important traits in a pitcher.”
Bibee will be making his 13th start of the season and the first of his career vs. Kansas City.
The Guardians could use some more pop in their lineup, especially after they were shellacked 8-1 by the red-hot Atlanta Braves on Wednesday. Cleveland may receive that jolt with the potential return of slugging first baseman Josh Naylor to the lineup on Thursday night.
Naylor, who has a team-best 60 RBIs, has missed the club’s past two games due to a sore right wrist.
“It doesn’t feel great, but it will get better,” Naylor said, according to Cleveland.com.
Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan recorded his third straight multi-hit performance and scored a run in the ninth inning on Wednesday. He is 12-for-29 (.414) in his past six contests for Cleveland, which has dropped four of its last seven games overall.
Cleveland’s Amed Rosario has driven in at least one run in a career-best five straight games.
Like the Guardians, the Royals struggled to ignite their offense on Wednesday. Kansas City mustered just four hits as the Minnesota Twins polished off a three-game series sweep with a 5-0 victory in Minneapolis.
Maikel Garcia, who had a single on Wednesday, is 13-for-23 (.565) with six runs in his past six games. He also has made himself at home while batting in the leadoff position over the past five contests.
“He is always ready to hit,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said of Garcia. “Maikel is doing a great job regardless of where we put him.”
On Thursday, the Royals will turn to right-hander Jordan Lyles (1-11, 6.68), who is expected to get the nod despite being plagued by an illness. Lyles missed his previous turn through the rotation but isn’t likely to face any restrictions in his return to the mound.
Lyles, 32, recorded his first win of the year in his most recent outing. He prevailed despite permitting four runs on eight hits in six innings during a 9-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on June 24 in St. Petersburg, Fla.
He is 2-1 with a 4.67 ERA in three career appearances (all starts) against Cleveland.
–Field Level Media
