NEW YORK — Alex Cobb and Tanner Bibee will start Games 1 and 2 for the Cleveland Guardians against the New York Yankees in the ALCS.
In the series opener, Cobb will square off against lefty Carlos Rodón, whom Cleveland pursued in free agency before he ultimately signed with the San Francisco Giants in March 2022. Rodón tossed a no-hitter against Cleveland in April 2021.
As for Cobb, it’s his second start of the postseason and the fourth of his career. He made two starts for the Tampa Bay Rays in October 2013, and then waited 11 years for his next October endeavor.
The Guardians acquired Cobb for a pair of prospects at the trade deadline. He hadn’t yet made his 2024 debut, thanks to hip, shoulder and finger injuries. He joined his new team, made two starts and then ripped the fingernail on his right index finger, which sent him back to the injured list. He returned on Sept. 1, but then developed a blister on his right middle finger.
After another six weeks on the sideline, the Guardians dusted him off and directed him to the mound for Game 3 of the ALDS in Detroit. He logged three innings before handing the ball to Cleveland’s deep bullpen.
Bibee will start opposite Yankees ace Gerrit Cole in Game 2 on Tuesday night in the Bronx, a rematch of Bibee’s second major-league start in May 2023. Bibee allowed two runs over 8 2/3 innings in his two starts against the Detroit Tigers in the ALDS. He said he felt like he had a “lead block” in his stomach as his first career playoff start approached, but he insisted his nerves were far more manageable when he took the mound a second time in the series.
In the ALCS, the Guardians might need to lean more on their starters. The club’s bullpen — which recorded the league’s best ERA, by a substantial margin, during the regular season — covered 25 2/3 of the team’s 44 innings in the ALDS. Relievers Cade Smith and Tim Herrin appeared in all five games of the series.
That approach might not be as viable in the ALCS, with off days only scheduled between Games 2 and 3 and Games 5 and 6. In the ALDS, the Guardians and Tigers benefited from recovery days between each game, aside from Games 3 and 4 at Comerica Park.
Matthew Boyd, another midseason pickup by the Guardians, would be in line to start Game 3 of the ALCS at Progressive Field on Thursday. The club will need another starter for Game 4, with Gavin Williams, Ben Lively and Joey Cantillo as possibilities.
(Photo of Alex Cobb: David Reginek / Imagn Images)
