CLEVELAND GUARDIANS NOTES:
GUARDS GET NO-HIT, DROP FOUR OF LAST FIVE
After departing Chicago with a series split against the White Sox, the Cleveland Guardians dropped their second straight decisions to the Houston Astros, as the club was no-hit in a 2-0 loss on Tuesday night at Minute Maid Park…coming off a 4-2 homestand, the club is 2-4 entering the finale of this 7-game road trip thru Chicago-AL (2-2) and Houston (0-2)…Cleveland has gone 11-6-2 over last 19 series (32-27 record since May 26). » FRAMBER VALDEZ (9.0IP, 0H, 0R, BB, 7SO, 93 pitches) went the distance for the Astros, hurling Houston’s first complete game no-hitter since Justin Verlander in 2019…permitted just a single baserunner, issuing a lead-off walk to OSCAR GONZALEZ to start the 5th, which was later erased by an inning-ending double play… the left-hander finished by retiring 26 of the 27 batters he faced in the contest…GAVIN WILLIAMS shouldered his third loss (5.0IP, 4H, 2R-ER, 4BB, 6SO, WP, 93 pitches), working around a quartet of walks to hold the ‘Stros to just a pair of runs…both scored in the 3rd inning on a 2-run single by Kyle Tucker, which followed a wild pitch that moved a pair of runners (single/walk) into scoring position.
Cleveland (53-55) sits in 2nd place in the AL Central standings, 2.0 games behind 2nd-place Minnesota (55-53) and 5.5 games ahead of 3rd-place Detroit (-7.5G, 47-60)…Guardians have won 8 of 15, 21 of 38, 28 of 51 and 31 of last 57, though have also dropped 49 of last 93 overall since starting year 9-6.
THE GUARDS IN SPACE CITY
Cleveland enters Wednesday’s contest looking to avoid being swept for the third time this season and the first time since dropping three straight to the Texas Rangers from July 14-16…a win today would split the season series between Houston and Cleveland 3-3…the last time the Guardians were swept by the Astros was July 2-4, 2021…the Guards have not won a series at Minute Maid Park since sweeping the Astros from May 19-21, 2017.
During the Terry Francona era (since 2013), Cleveland is 16- 15 at Minute Maid Park and 36-31 against the Astros overall…the club’s .537 winning percentage against Houston over that span is the 2nd-best of any American League team, behind Tampa Bay (36- 30, .545)…overall, the Guards are 44-31 all-time against Houston.
WELCOME TO CLASE, I’M YOUR CLOSER EMMANUEL
EMMANUEL CLASE needs one save to pass Michael Jackson (94) for 6th-most saves in franchise history….he is 10 saves away from José Mesa (104) for 5th-most in club history…his 28 saves are 2nd-most in the American League, behind BAL’s Felix Bautista (29), and T4th in MLB with TOR’s Jordan Romano…his 50 appearances this season rank T3rd in the AL/MLB with multiple other players
Clase has limited right-handed hitters to a .194 (18-for-93) average this season, compared to left-handed hitters’ .253 (23-for91) clip against him…in his career, he has limited right-handers to a .190 average (80-for-421) and left-handers to a .203 mark (75- for-370)…since joining Cleveland in 2021, Clase leads all MLB relievers with a 1.74 ERA (37ER/191.0IP), 79 points lower than TB’s Jeffrey Springs’ 2.53 ERA (55ER/196.0), the 2nd-lowest ERA during that stretch (min 190.0IP)…Clase’s 70 saves since the start of last season lead MLB, ahead of BOS’s Kenley Jansen (65).
RUN ON ME, I DARE YOU
The Guardians have 19 outfield assists this season, T3rd in the American League and T7th in MLB with Boston and Texas…the club’s 50 outfield assists since the start of last season is 2nd in MLB, behind Cincinnati (55).
WILL BRENNAN has 7 outfield assists this season, the most by a Cleveland outfielder, ranking T5th in the AL and T10th in MLB… MYLES STRAW leads American League center fielders with 6 assists and is T2nd in MLB with COL’s Brenton Doyle, behind ATL’s Michael Harris II (8)…since the start of last season, Straw’s 17 outfield assists rank T4th in MLB with ARI’s Tommy Pham and BOS’s Alex Verdugo.
RUMBLE, YOUNG MAN, RUMBLE
Cleveland is one of 2 MLB teams (also Oakland) to have 6 different rookies throw 30.0+ innings this season; TANNER BIBEE (89.2IP) LOGAN ALLEN (80.1IP), XZAVION CURRY (59.0IP), GAVIN WILLIAMS (42.2IP) PEYTON BATTENFIELD (34.2IP) and HUNTER GADDIS (31.1IP)…38.76% of Cleveland’s innings pitched this season (374.1IP/965.1IP) have come via rookies, 2nd in MLB behind Oakland (42.11%)…the Guards rookies rank amongst MLB clubs’ rookies in wins (18, 1st), games started (54, 1st), strikeouts (340, 2nd) and innings pitched (374.2, 2nd)… Cleveland possesses the youngest average age of pitchers (26.1) among MLB clubs this season, ahead of Miami (27.4).
WELCOME TO THE BIGS
BRAYAN ROCCHIO was recalled from Triple-A Columbus earlier today…in 90 games at Triple-A Columbus, the switch-hitting infielder owns a slash line of .290/.382/.414 with 26 doubles, 5 triples, 3 home runs and 53 RBI…since July 4, he’s hitting .347 (26-for-75) with one home run and 13 RBI, while hitting safely in 16 of 18 games during that stretch…he’s hit safely in 71 of 90 games overall this season, with 25 multi-hit games…has made 3 brief stints with the Major League club this season, playing in 4 games and totaling 3 hits and one RBI in 14 at-bats.
Per MLB.com, Rocchio is the organization’s top middle infield prospect, #5 prospect overall and the #51 prospect in MLB…Keith Law recently ranked him the #8 prospect in MLB…he was signed as an international prospect out of Venezuela in 2017…
DOWN ON THE FARM
Triple-A Columbus recorded 18 hits in its 15-7 victory over St. Paul on Tuesday…JOHNATHAN RODRIGUEZ went 2-for-4 with 2 runs and 2 RBI…following his promotion from Double-A Akron, Rodriguez is batting .350 (7-for-20) with 2 home runs and 7 RBI and has hit safely in all 5 of his games…JHONKENSY NOEL reached base 5 times, going 4-for-5 with 3 runs, one double and one walk… over his last 32 games, he’s hitting at a .298 clip (36-for-121) with 7 home runs and 27 RBI with 26 runs scored.
AARON BRACHO was named Double-A Eastern League Player of the Week from July 24-30…the 22-year-old infield prospect went 12-24 (.500) with 2 doubles, one triple, one home run and 7 RBI while posting a 1.347 OPS…he’s batting .248 (57-for-230) with 9 home runs and 34 RBI in 65 games at Double-A Akron this season.
DAYAN FRIAS hit his 10th home run of the season for High-A Lake County last night and currently owns a 19 game on-base streak…the 21-year-old switch hitter is hitting .304 (21-for-69) with 5 home runs, 18 RBI and 18 walks with a .443 OBP during the streak.
TODAY’S STARTER – #61 TANNER BIBEE RHP
BIBEE ON THE ROAD
W-L ERA G GS IP H R ER BB SO
2023 3-1 4.33 8 8 43.2 46 21 21 15 44
Career 3-1 4.33 8 8 43.2 46 21 21 15 44
BIBEE’S MLB CAREER
W-L ERA G GS IP H R ER BB SO
2023 7-2 3.11 16 16 89.2 76 33 31 31 91
Career 7-2 3.11 16 16 89.2 76 33 31 31 91
TODAY’S START
The 24-year-old right-hander is scheduled to make his 17th career start, ninth on the road, in the finale of this 3-game set with the Houston Astros…marks his third career start against the AL West and first career outing against the Astros…is 0-0 with a 1.98 ERA (3ER/13.2IP) with one walk and 13 strikeouts against the division.
Bibee was originally selected by Cleveland in the 5th round (156th overall) of the 2021 MLB Draft out of Cal State Fullerton… entered the 2023 season as Cleveland’s #5 prospect according to MLB.com…he is starting on extended 5 days’ rest; is 3-2 with a 3.22 ERA (16ER/44.2IP) on 5 days’ rest.
LAST TIME OUT
In his last start, Bibee faced the White Sox for the first time in his career…earned his seventh victory of the season and won his fifth straight decision after throwing 6.2 innings with 6 hits on 3 runs (earned) with 2 walks and 6 strikeouts on 97 pitches…Bibee retired the first 6 White Sox hitters in order in the 1st and 2nd innings, before Jake Burger led off the 3rd with a solo home run… following a 1-2-3 4th, the ChiSox opened the 5th with a Yasmani Grandal single and Burger’s second home run of the day before Bibee retired the last 3 hitters in the frame…Eloy Jiménez and Yoan Moncada hit singles in the 6th but were left stranded…Burger led off the 7th with a walk, but Bibee earned his third career pickoff, leading all rookies this season…following a Seby Zavala 2-out single, Bibee’s outing was complete. THE SUMMER OF TANNER
Per Elias, Bibee (7-2, 16GS) is the 6th pitcher to win 7 of their first 9 career decisions as a starter with Cleveland, last done by SHANE BIEBER (7-2, 13GS) in 2018…only 3 Guardians arms have turned the trick since 1989 as CC Sabathia (7-2, 14GS) in 2001 is the only other Cleveland starter to do so…he is also the 8th Cleveland rookie starter to win 5+ consecutive decisions, last done by Cody Anderson in 2015…his 1.78 ERA (6ER/30.1IP) in July is the 7th-lowest ERA in a single month by a Cleveland rookie pitcher (min. 5GS) and the lowest since Anderson in September 2015 (1.38).
In July, Bibee ranked among all MLB pitchers in ERA (1.78, 2nd in AL/5th in MLB), OPS (.543, 4th in the AL/6th in MLB), batting average (.183, 4th in the AL/7th in MLB), opposing SLG (.284, 4th in the AL/7th in MLB), H/9 (5.93, 4th in the AL/7th in MLB), wins (3, T4th in AL/T8th in MLB), OBP (.258, 6th in the AL/11th in MLB) and BABIP (.233, 6th in the AL/11th in MLB).
NEW KID ON THE BLOCK
Bibee ranks among MLB rookie starting pitchers (min. 60.0IP) in win percentage (.778, 1st), wins (7, T1st), ERA (3.04, 3rd), WHIP (1.19, 4th), batting average (.226, 4th) and SO/9 (9.13, 6th).
On April 26, after striking out 5 straight in the 2nd and 3rd innings, he became the first Cleveland pitcher since at least 1920 to strike out 5 straight hitters in their MLB debut…Bibee became the 2nd Cleveland pitcher with an 8+ strikeout, zero walk debut, last done by Floyd Weaver (W, 5.0IP, 3H, 1R/ER, 0BB, 8SO) on September 30, 1962 vs. Los Angeles-AL in G2 of a doubleheader.
Bibee has thrown 7+ strikeouts and allowed 3-or-fewer hits in 5 of his first 16 career games, more than any pitcher in club history and tied with 4 others for 3rd-most such outings in MLB history within a pitcher’s first 16 career games…also has 6+ strikeouts in 10 of his 16 career starts, tied with Danny Salazar and SHANE
BIEBER for 2nd-most in club history, trailing Herb Score (13)… Bibee’s 91 strikeouts trails only Bieber (93), Salazar (102) and Score (126) for most in a Cleveland pitcher’s first 16 career starts
HOUSTON ASTROS NOTES:
No team release available.
