As the Cleveland Guardians head to Yankee Stadium to kick off the ALCS on Monday, trade-deadline acquisition Alex Cobb will get the ball to start Game 1.
Guardians manager Stephen Vogt announced the team’s starters for the first two games, confirming that right-hander Tanner Bibee will start Game 2 on Tuesday.
Cobb, 37, was acquired from the San Franciso Giants for minor leaguer Jacob Bresnahan and a player to be named later. He had yet to make a start at the time of the trade as he worked back from off-season surgery.
Since joining the Guardians, he has made three regular season starts and got the ball in Game 3 of the ALDS. Cobb went on the injured list in the middle of September and didn’t make a rehab start before returning to the post-season roster.
“I thought obviously not throwing a pitch in a game for 30, 40 days and coming back, and his stuff was there. The velo was there. The stuff was there,” Vogt told reporters Sunday. “Alex has pitched in this league for a really long time, and we trust him to take the ball.”
Cobb was charged with the loss in Game 3 against the Detroit Tigers. He allowed two runs and three hits over three innings, striking out two.
The Yankees will counter with left-hander Carlos Rodon in Game 1, Gerrit Cole in Game 2, Clarke Schmidt in Game 3 and Luis Gil in Game 4.
Vogt said that Cleveland has yet to decide on who will start after Bibee.
The Guardians only used three starters in the ALDS, Cobb, Bibee and left-hander Matthew Boyd. Gavin Williams and Joey Cantillo were both on Cleveland’s ALDS roster after serving as starters in the regular season, as well.