First for Faedo: Detroit Tigers rookie beats Bieber, Cleveland Guardians for first MLB win
CLEVELAND — Rookie Alex Faedo allowed two runs in 5⅓ innings for his first major league win and Miguel Cabrera had an RBI double as the Detroit Tigers beat the Cleveland Guardians 4-2 on Sunday.
Faedo (1-1) struck out two in his fourth appearance since being called up from Triple-A Toledo on May 4. The right-hander missed all of 2021 after undergoing Tommy John surgery and began this season at Class A Lakeland.
Cabrera’s double in the first inning scored Robbie Grossman and was the 603rd of his career, tying Cal Ripken Jr. for 16th all-time. It was his 3,022nd career hit, one short of Lou Brock in the 28th spot.
Detroit took a 3-2 lead in the fifth when Tucker Barnhart scored on an error by first baseman Josh Naylor. Grossman hit a sharp grounder that went under Naylor’s glove, allowing Barnhart to come around from second.
Javier Báez added a solo homer in the eighth for the Tigers, who snapped a three-game skid and are 5-4 since falling a season-low 14 games below .500 on May 12. Gregory Soto pitched the ninth for his seventh save.
Guardians righty Shane Bieber (1-3) struck out a season-high 10 in seven innings, giving up six hits and three runs, two of them earned. The 2020 AL Cy Young winner has not won since April 20 against the White Sox, six starts ago.
Naylor homered in the fourth and Owen Miller had an RBI single in the first. Cleveland did not record a hit in the final 3⅔ innings against four Detroit relievers, losing for the sixth time in its last eight games.
Right fielder Grossman played his 411th straight game without an error, extending the longest streak by a position player in MLB history.
The first pitch was delayed by 20 minutes due to light rain. The teams’ scheduled game Saturday was postponed because of thunderstorms and will be made up on July 14.
Manager mania
Guardians manager Terry Francona and Tigers counterpart A.J. Hinch were back in their respective dugouts after missing the series opener Friday for medical reasons. Francona underwent a minor procedure, while Hinch fell ill and remained at the team hotel.
“I still don’t feel good, so personally, the rainout yesterday was the best thing ever,” Hinch said. “I was in bed by 6 p.m. and slept well.”
Cleveland coaches Sandy Alomar Jr., Mike Sarbaugh and Joe Torres also rejoined the team after clearing MLB’s health and safety protocols for COVID-19.
“We have really good coaches: DeMarlo (Hale), Carl (Willis), Sandy, Sarby, you name it,” Francona said. “With the experience we have, the more they coach, the more comfort I have.”
Trainer's room
Tigers: Right-hander Tarik Skubal (lower left leg bruise), who was struck by a liner off the bat of Ernie Clement in the fifth inning Friday, will be given an extra day before making his next start. “The injury isn’t a major concern, but he is sore,” Hinch said.
Guardians: Right-hander Aaron Civale (left gluteal cramp) will not require a stint on the injured list, but is likely to be pushed back in the rotation. Civale fell awkwardly while pursuing a grounder in the seventh inning Friday, forcing him to leave after 6⅓ innings.
Up next
Tigers: Right-hander Elvin Rodríguez (0-0, 13.50 ERA) is set to make his first major league start Monday at Minnesota. He worked 2⅔ innings in his April 10 debut against the White Sox.
Guardians: Right-hander Triston McKenzie (2-3, 2.97 ERA) opens a four-game set Monday at Houston. The 6-foot-5, 165-pounder is 2-1 in three May starts, striking out 17 over 19⅓ innings with a 2.33 ERA.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Guardians' Shane Bieber strikes out season-high 10 but takes loss
