Bieber dominates White Sox in first game but Guardians settle for doubleheader split

CLEVELAND — Dylan Cease struck out nine in 5⅔ innings, and the Chicago White Sox beat the Guardians 7-0 on Tuesday night for a doubleheader split.

José Abreu, Luis Robert and Josh Harrison homered for the White Sox, who had dropped four of six before its sorely needed victory in the nightcap.

A right-hander, Cease (8-4) allowed five hits and walked three. He has not allowed more than one earned run in nine consecutive starts, posting a 0.53 ERA in his past 51 innings.

In the opener, Shane Bieber tossed a three-hitter for his first complete game of the season, leading the Guardians to a a 4-1 victory. José Ramírez and Amed Rosario each drove in two runs.

Abreu got the White Sox off to a solid start in the second game, hitting a two-run homer in the first off Konnor Pilkington (1-2). Harrison added a solo shot in the second.

Pilkington was charged with four runs, three earned, and six hits in five innings.

Robert curled a three-run drive off Bryan Shaw in the ninth just inside the foul pole in right. Robert finished with three hits.

Reynaldo López, Kendall Graveman and Matt Foster followed Cease in the eight-hit shutout.

Bieber (4-5) struck out seven and walked none in just the 17th complete game in the major leagues in 2022. The righty had been 0-2 in six starts since beating the Baltimore Orioles 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. Bieber only needed 95 pitches to wrap up the two-hour, nine-minute ballgame.

“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.

“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 delivered RBI doubles in the third and fifth off Davis Martin (1-3), while Ramírez had a two-run single in the third. Ramírez, selected for his fourth All-Star Game, leads the AL with 68 RBIs.

“It was pretty cool going up against Bieber,” said Martin, who worked a season-high six innings. “His arsenal is very similar to mine.”

The Guardians played their league-high eighth doubleheader, seven of them at Progressive Field.

Tough guys

Guardians designated hitter Franmil Reyes fouled a pitch off his right ear in the opener, but played all 18 innings. The ball ricocheted off the dirt and struck Reyes below his helmet, giving him a small cut.

Martin was hit on the upper right arm by an Andrés Giménez liner, leaving the rookie with a baseball-shaped bruise that featured distinct stitching marks.

“Davis shook it right off, said ‘I’ve got this,’ and stayed in the game,” Chicago manager Tony La Russa said. “He was amazing.”

Trainer's room

White Sox: Catcher 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: Outfielder 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.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Guardians win first game but White Sox earn split of doubleheader