Shane Bieber goes the distance in 4-1 win over White Sox

The Guardians won back-to-back games for the first time since June 30

Shane Bieber was dominant against the Chicago White Sox in the first game of Tuesday’s doubleheader, pitching a complete game to lead the Cleveland Guardians to a 4-1 victory.

Bieber went nine innings and only needed 95 pitches to get there, limiting the White Sox to three hits and one earned run while striking out seven. He looked primed for a Maddux until he ran into trouble in the seventh inning, when a HBP and an infield single set up Eloy Jimenez to line an RBI single through the left side of the infield to score Chicago’s only run of the game.

White Sox starting pitcher Davis Martin struggled to go toe to toe with Bieber. After a pair of tough luck double plays in the first two innings, the Guardians finally broke through in the third.

With two outs, Amed Rosario doubled to left-center to score Austin Hedges from second base, striking first blood and giving Cleveland a 1-0 lead. With Rosario on second and Steven Kwan on third, Martin made the mistake of giving Jose Ramirez something to hit and he lined an RBI single to right-center to plate two more runs. Rosario would come through again with two outs in the fifth inning, scoring Myles Straw from first on another RBI double.

It was an otherwise quiet game, as four runs was enough support for Bieber, who never didn’t have to break much of a sweat outside of the seventh inning. He even struck out both Tim Anderson and Yoan Moncada in the ninth inning for good measure.

There was an amusing moment in the fifth inning when White Sox manager Tony La Russa decided to intentionally walk Jose Ramirez with two outs and Rosario on second base. But he waited until after Ramirez had fouled off the first pitch before issuing the intentional walk.

On the White Sox broadcast, Jason Benetti asked his partner in the broadcast booth, Steve Stone, why you would intentionally walk a batter after one pitch. Stone’s response: “I have no idea.”