Bieber pitches 3-hitter, Guardians beat White Sox 4-1
By BRIAN DULIK | Associated Press
CLEVELAND (AP) — Shane Bieber pitched a three-hitter for his first complete game this year and José Ramírez and Amed Rosario drove in two runs apiece, sending the Cleveland Guardians over the Chicago White Sox 4-1 in a doubleheader opener Tuesday.
Bieber (4-5) struck out seven and walked none in just the 17th complete game in the major leagues this season. He had been 0-2 in six starts since beating Baltimore on June 3, the longest winless streak of his career.
The 2020 American League Cy Young Award winner carried a one-hit shutout into the seventh en route to his first complete game since Aug. 4, 2019.
“Yeah, I enjoyed that,” Bieber said, smiling. “I was able to go out there and be efficient and get through nine. I feel really good right now, so I’ve just got to keep rolling and keep building off the last one.”
It was the fourth complete game of Bieber’s big league career and the first by a Cleveland pitcher since Aaron Civale's five-hitter at Pittsburgh on Aug. 19, 2020. The 27-year-old right-hander only needed 95 pitches to wrap up the 2-hour, 9-minute ballgame.
“Shane had a good work week and was in control,” Guardians manager Terry Francona said. “When you look up at nine innings and under 100 pitches, it means a guy is really pitching.”
Rosario had a pair of RBI doubles off Davis Martin (1-3), driving in Austin Hedges in the third and Myles Straw in the fifth. The Guardians took a 3-0 lead in the third, when Ramírez’s two-run single scored Steven Kwan and Rosario.
Ramírez, selected for his fourth All-Star Game, leads the AL with 68 RBIs, three more than Yankees slugger Aaron Judge.
Eloy Jiménez singled home Andrew Vaughn in the seventh, cutting Chicago’s deficit to 4-1. The White Sox had two on with one out before Gavin Sheets bounced into an inning-ending double play.
“Bieber had excellent command the whole game, all nine innings,” Chicago manager Tony La Russa said. “Give him credit.”
Martin worked a season-high six innings, giving up four runs while striking out three after being recalled from Triple-A Charlotte. The 25-year-old right-hander made his big league debut May 17 at Kansas City.
“It was pretty cool going up against Bieber,” Martin said. “His arsenal is very similar to mine.”
Nolan Jones of the Guardians went 0 for 3, going hitless for the first time in the majors. Jones batted .538 with seven hits and eight RBIs over his first four games.
Cleveland designated hitter Franmil Reyes fouled a pitch off his right ear in the third but remained in the game. The ball ricocheted off the dirt and struck Reyes below his helmet.
“Franmil was OK right away,” Francona said. “He’s got a little cut on his ear, so we were just trying to stop the bleeding.”
The Guardians played their league-high eighth doubleheader, their seventh at Progressive Field. The White Sox, in their fourth doubleheader, were swept by Cleveland on April 20.
TRAINER’S ROOM
White Sox: C Yasmani Grandal (back spasms) has shifted his rehab assignment from Double-A Birmingham to Triple-A Charlotte. Grandal, who was placed on the injured list on June 13, had a .692 on-base percentage in three games with the Barons.
Guardians: OF Oscar Gonzalez (right abdominal strain) is performing light physical exercises, but has not been cleared for baseball activities. The rookie is eligible to be activated off the IL, but likely will remain there until after the All-Star break.
UP NEXT
White Sox: RHP Dylan Cease (7-4, 2.45 ERA) has only lost once in seven road starts this season, allowing four runs in 5 1/3 innings at Cleveland on April 21. Cease is 4-1 with a 1.77 ERA away from Guaranteed Rate Field.
Guardians: LHP Konnor Pilkington (1-1, 4.08 ERA) will become the first Cleveland pitcher to make three consecutive starts as part of doubleheaders since Neal Heaton in 1984. The rookie is in his seventh stint with the team.
More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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