By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Tanner Bibee’s bout with food poisoning delayed his 2025 debut by three days. It didn't stop the right-hander from picking up where he left off last season.
Bibee tossed 5.2 scoreless innings on Sunday afternoon at Kauffman Stadium and the Guardians claimed the opening series from the Kansas City Royals with a 6-2 win. Bibee allowed just two hits and two walks.
The Guardians scored first in the second inning on a sacrifice fly by Gabriel Arias, driving in Carlos Santana. Kyle Manzardo continued his monster series in the fifth inning hitting a two run home run off Royals reliever Sam Long. Arias added another run in the sixth inning with a solo home run off Chris Stratton, who gave up one more run in the inning when Daniel Schneemann scored on a groundout from Steven Kwan, putting Cleveland up 5-0 after six innings.
The Guardians put their final run on the board in the top of the eighth inning, a solo home run by Schneemann, before Kansas City was finally able to score in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI single by Bobby Witt Jr and a bases loaded walk to Hunter Renfroe.
The scariest moment came in the bottom half of the ninth inning, with Jonathan India at the plate, facing Emmanuel Clase. One pitch after India was brushed back by a 97.1 mph fastball up and in from Clase, the Royals' leadoff hitter was hit on the left side of his face by a 98.9 mph cutter. The ball hit India’s earflap of his batting helmet, but India fell to the ground and clutched his face.
India remained alert but immediately walked off the field with Royals head athletic trainer Kyle Turner. The Royals’ dugout had choice words for Clase and the rest of the Guardians dugout while India was taken to the locker room. The Royals believe “it’s non-concussive, but we’re waiting on some imaging and he will be evaluated further over the next few days,” a team spokesperson said.
Clase said he texted catcher Salvador Perez after the game to check how India was doing, and to apologize to India and the Royals' clubhouse for the hit-by-pitch. Clase relayed to Perez that it was not intentional, and that the pitch slipped out of his hand. It was 45 degrees at first pitch on Sunday, which affected Clase’s ability to grip the baseball.
“I [texted Perez], ‘Please just check on him and say that it wasn’t intentional," Clase said through interpreter Nelson Pérez, the Guardians strength and conditioning coach. “It was just a pitch that slipped out of my hands."
Michael Wacha took the loss for the Royals pitching four innings, giving up just four hits and one run while striking out two, but walking four batters. The Royals managed just five hits in the game, five players each getting one hit.
Kansas City is back in action on Monday on the road travelling to Milwaukee to face the Brewers. Kris Bubic will make his season debut for the Royals against Elvin Rodriguez for Milwaukee. KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM) will join first pitch at 1:10pm.
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