Tanner Bibee Struggles in Fourth Inning as Cleveland Guardians Fall to Royals

Everything early pointed towards a good outing from Tanner Bibee.

But after the fourth inning unraveled, the Cleveland Guardians weren't able to recover as the Kansas City Royals waltzed to a 6-2 victory.

On Monday, May 4, the Guardians took on the Royals for the first outing of a four-game set, falling after the start from Bibee fell apart in the middle stages. Unfortunately for the 27-year-old, this has been a recurring issue to begin the year, as his season ERA has jumped to 4.58 while his WHIP and batting average against have both grown as well.

Following the disappointing showing, manager Stephen Vogt broke down what he saw from Bibee.

"I thought the first three innings was as sharp as we've seen Tanner all year," Vogt began. "And then it felt like after he hung a cutter to Bobby Witt and then missed the fastball and then Pasquantino, it's kind of this beginning of him losing his command, which was surprising because it was so good the first three innings. But they made him work, and he threw almost 40 pitches that inning. But it just kind of happened fast."

To open the game, Bibee looked the part. He forced a groundout of Maikel Garcia, followed by a strikeout of Bobby Witt Jr. and a flyout from Vinnie Pasquantino. He was dancing around the strike zone well and challenging the Royals' bats, which set the stage for a good showing.

In the second, that trend he set continued, as he made Salvador Perez, Carter Jensen and Lane Thomas all fly out.

With the Guardians leading the Royals, 2-0, following a David Fry home run that brought Travis Bazzana trotting past home plate, the away side was in the driver's seat.

Moving into the third frame, Bibee continued his elite showing. While he did walk Jac Caglianone to begin, he then struck out Isaac Collins, forced Nick Loftin into a groundout and then forced Garcia to fly out.

That quick recovery was a great sign that he was going to be able to settle down and keep the contest in hand.

But then the fourth inning happened.

"I was attacking them," Bibee said when thinking back on the opening innings. "I feel like I was attacking them really well. I feel like I kind of mixed them [the pitches] pretty well. I feel like I was still doing relatively that in the fourth. I feel like they adjusted and I didn't."

Bibee gave up a lead-off home run to Witt Jr., before allowing a double to Pasquantino, followed by a single from Perez. That chain of events immediately put two on the board and tied up the game.

A few more events later, the Royals had a two run advantage, leading 4-2.

"I didn't throw as good as I wanted to tonight," Bibee said. "...What the hitters do is their thing, and I can only control what I'm doing on the mound."

The Guardians' coaching staff pulled him in between innings. He bowed out at five hits, four earned runs and two walks allowed, striking out four along the way. Bibee is now 0-5 on the campaign, with the loss attributed to him on Monday night.

The team then turned the keys over to Matt Festa, Connor Brogdon and Peyton Pallette to finish the game. Across four innings, they would combine to five up two hits, two unearned runs, one earned run, two walks and three strikeouts.

Of the bunch, Pallette was the only one to give up no runs or hits.

The Guardians are going to look to bounce back on Tuesday, May 5, in game two of the road series.

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