Tanner Bibee has been the definition of hard-luck loser for the Cleveland Guardians, sharing the major league lead with 11 defeats despite being tied for second place in the American League with 14 quality starts.
His next opportunity for a win comes Wednesday as Cleveland continues its six-game homestand against the New York Mets.
Bibee (4-11, 3.81 ERA) faces fellow right-hander Christian Scott (3-3, 2.99) of the Mets on Wednesday.
The Guardians enter the matchup in the third and final American League wild-card position, despite losing nine of their last 12 games.
“I know that we’re a playoff baseball team in here, and everyone in this (clubhouse) believes it, too,” Bibee said.
The Guardians scored one total run in Bibee’s past two outings, wasting a pair of quality starts that saw him work 13 1/3 innings and give up five runs. He took the loss in both games — 4-1 to the Arizona Diamondbacks and 3-0 to the Tampa Bay Rays.
“Unfortunately, we’re not able to get enough runs to support him,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. “We just haven’t been able to get anything going.”
Bibee’s lone appearance against the Mets was a no-decision in his fifth MLB game on May 21, 2023, when he gave up two runs in six innings on the road. He was not involved in the decision in the 5-4 loss.
New York won the series opener 6-2, fueled by a home run and four RBIs from catcher Luis Torrens. Steven Kwan remained hot for the Guardians, extending his on-base streak to 21 games with a single while driving in a run.
Kwan is batting .425 with seven RBIs and 12 walks during his ongoing streak, which is the second longest of his career. He had a 25-game streak in 2024.
“Steven is confident, he’s convicted and he’s committed to a plan,” Vogt said.
Torrens matched his career highs with three hits and four times on base, highlighted by a three-run homer in the second off Joey Cantillo. He entered the game 1-for-19 in his career against the Guardians.
“He’s such a great teammate,” Mets interim manager Andy Green said. “The dugout had a ton of juice. Everybody was fired up for him today.”
Rookie Carson Benge and Bo Bichette added solo homers as New York snapped a three-game losing streak. Benge’s 451-foot rocket to straight-away center was the longest at the ballpark since New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge had a 456-footer in 2024.
With the Mets nowhere near playoff contention, they also enjoyed watching 26-year-old Nate Lavender make his major league debut with 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief.
“Nate is a great dude and I’m just super happy that he had an outing like tonight,” winning pitcher Sean Manaea said. “It’s a culmination of all the hard work he’s put in.”
Scott has been terrific in three of his last four starts since July 8, holding opponents to either zero or one run while striking out 19 over 16 2/3 innings. New York’s inadequate offense has left him with a 1-2 record during that timeframe, even with a 1.77 ERA.
In two big league seasons, Scott has not pitched against Cleveland.
–Field Level Media
