The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Bieber eager for redemption
Against Jays, ace had no strikeouts for first time in MLB career
Shane Bieber will have to wait longer than usual to take the mound again, which means the Guardians’ ace has an extra day to stew about “not giving the team a chance to win” the first game of a doubleheader with the Blue Jays on May 7.
Normally, a starting pitcher goes four days between starts. But since the Guardians have May 12 as an off day after a threegame series with the White Sox in Chicago, Bieber’s next start would be May 13 against the Twins in Minneapolis. The Twins lead the A.L. Central.So redemption in a game with a divisional rival is strong motivation for Bieber.
Not that he needs any more motivation other than to pitch much better than he did against the Blue Jays.
Bieber could easily have shrugged off giving up eight hits, seven earned runs and three walks in 3 1/3 innings as “It was just one game.” But that is not how the 2019 All-Star Game MVP and 2020 American League Cy Young Award winner thinks.
Bieber was tagged with the 8-3 loss and is now 1-2 with a 4.13 ERA in a Major Leagueleading six starts in 2022. He threw 71 pitches, only 38 for strikes, while being roughed up by the Blue Jays.
“You don’t look up too many games when Biebs is in the fourth inning and strike-to-ball is like 50 percent,” manager Terry Francona said. “He was having a hard time commanding and throwing strikes. It was a battle the entire time, but it was a battle for the entire staff.”
Bieber faced 21 batters without registering a strikeout. He was asked about that odd statistic and said he could not remember the last time it happened. Whenever that dark day was, it occurred before he wore an Indians/Guardians uniform. The 26-year-old right-hander, who led all of Major League Baseball with 122 Ks in 2020, and who posted 134 strikeouts in 96 2/3 innings last season, pitched in 87 games since 2018, 85 of them starts, and never went without at least one strikeout before getting clubbed by the Blue Jays.
“There were some elements (high winds) to deal with today, but ultimately it starts and stops with me,” Bieber said. “I’m frustrated with myself for not giving the team a chance to win from early on in the game. It was lack of command, lack of getting ahead, which led to lack of conviction.
“No excuses. I just have to continue to do my best to move forward and put this one behind me. Easier said than done, but it is what it is and we have a lot more to play for throughout the rest of the season. So I guess I just have to practice what I preach and be better next time.”
Excluding two planned three-inning starts last September when Bieber was returning from a shoulder injury that sidelined him more than three months, his start against the Blue Jays was his shortest since he was removed with one out against the Atlanta Braves on April 21, 2019. He gave up six hits and seven runs, five earned, in an 11-5 loss. He threw only 65 pitches.
Bieber, of course, wanted to go deeper into the game with the Blue Jays. Seventyone pitches thrown wasn’t enough for what he considered a good workload.
“Another downside of not going deep into the game was I wasn’t able to stretch it out in terms of pitch count, so I’ll get in a heavier workday (May 8) and try to even things out,” Bieber said.
For what it’s worth, Bieber followed the loss to the Braves three years ago by lasting six innings and throwing 106 pitches with nine strikeouts. He allowed three runs. The Indians lost, 4-3, but Bieber did not factor into the decision.