Tanner Bibee allowed one run over seven strong innings while Kyle Manzardo hit a solo homer and Lane Thomas added a two-run shot as the Cleveland Guardians clinched a first-round bye in the playoffs with Tuesday night’s 6-1 win over the visiting Cincinnati Reds.
Thomas totaled three RBIs, and Josh Naylor had two hits and two RBIs for the AL Central-champion Guardians (91-67).
Bibee (12-8) yielded each of Cincinnati’s four hits while issuing two walks and striking out seven. He retired the final seven batters he faced.
Spencer Steer had an RBI single for the Reds (76-82) in their first game since manager David Bell was fired near the end of his sixth season with the club.
Scheduled Cincinnati starter Jakob Junis was scratched for personal reasons and is now slated to start on Wednesday. Carson Spiers (5-7) took the ball for the Reds instead, and it didn’t take long for the Guardians to get to him.
With one out in the bottom of the first, Manzardo floated his fifth career home run — all coming since he was recalled from Triple-A Columbus on Sept. 1 — into the right field seats. After Naylor lined a two-out single to right, Thomas sent a sinker onto the left field fan porch for a 3-0 Guardians lead.
Cincinnati got a run back in the top of the fourth. Tyler Stephenson opened the frame with a double off Bibee and eventually scored on Steer’s single.
However, Cleveland regained its three-run advantage with two outs in the bottom of the fifth. Jose Ramirez singled and scored from first base on Naylor’s double down the right field line, making it 4-1. The Guardians added two more runs in the seventh via Naylor’s sacrifice fly and a run-scoring groundout from Thomas.
Cincinnati second baseman Jonathan India was hit in the helmet by a pitch in the fifth. He remained in the game before leaving prior to the bottom of the seventh inning.
–Field Level Media