Yesterday the Cleveland Guardians’ bullpen helped carry them to a big 6-1 win over the Tigers in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series. And while that performance helped force today’s decisive Game 3, it came at a cost.
Erik Sabrowski (18 pitches), Hunter Gaddis (20 pitches) and Cade Smith (31 pitches) were forced to pitch for the second straight day. Jakob Junis threw 12 high-intensity pitches; Tim Herrin threw 13.
While Tanner Bibee did a good job limiting the damage against Detroit’s lineup, the Guardians’ bullpen was forced into action earlier than anyone expected due to him only going 4 2/3 innings.