Shane Bieber continued his Opening Day mastery, Cleveland scored five runs in the fourth inning and the Guardians presented Stephen Vogt with an 8-0 win over the host Oakland Athletics in his managerial debut on Thursday night.
Bieber (1-0), who entered the game with a 1.19 ERA in Opening Day starts over the last four seasons, was even better this time, shutting out the A’s on four hits over six innings. Bieber walked one and struck out 11, his third time with at least 10 strikeouts on Opening Day starts.
The Guardians gave Bieber and three relievers all the runs they would need when David Fry and Tyler Freeman doubled consecutively off A’s starter Alex Wood (0-1) in the second inning for a 1-0 lead.
The roof caved in on Wood in the fourth, when Josh Naylor doubled, Fry singled and Freeman was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out.
Andres Gimenez made it 2-0 with an RBI single, and two more runs scored on Austin Hedges’ infield single and an error by A’s first baseman Ryan Noda. Rookie Brayan Rocchio followed a two-run double, making it 6-0.
Wood was pulled at that point, charged with six runs on seven hits in 3 1/3 innings. He walked one and struck out three.
The Guardians tacked on a pair of runs in the ninth when Steven Kwan singled, Jose Ramirez tripled and Fry lifted a sacrifice fly off A’s reliever Michael Kelly.
Eli Morgan, Tim Herrin and Nick Sandlin threw a hitless inning apiece for Cleveland.
Fry finished with a double, two singles, two runs and an RBI, and Freeman chipped in with two hits, including one of Cleveland’s four doubles. The Guardians out-hit the A’s 11-4.
JJ Bleday had a double and a single for the A’s, who were the lowest scoring team in the majors last season. Bleday’s double was Oakland’s only extra-base hit.
–Field Level Media
