Weather, off-days putting Guardians' pitching plans in flux

NEW YORK -- The Guardians’ rotation for the first three games of the American League Division series is set. If the series needs to go to a Game 4 or a Game 5, the club will have to start weighing its options.

Because Cal Quantrill wasn’t needed in the Wild Card Series, his start was pushed back to the ALDS opener on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium. Shane Bieber will get the ball in Game 2 on Thursday and Triston McKenzie will start at Progressive Field in Game 3 on Saturday. But if the series extends past Saturday, the team will have to determine if Aaron Civale will make a start.

“There’s so many things that come into play,” Guardians manager Terry Francona said. “One, we still have got to be playing. Nobody wants a cart ahead of a horse. Two, it has to make sense. But there’s a lot of things we’ve talked about and probably will continue to. We’ll see how we’re doing.”

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Sunday’s Game 4 start shouldn’t be too difficult to work out. Quantrill will be on regular rest and will be able to take the ball. But because of Wednesday’s off-day, Bieber can’t toe the rubber until Thursday, meaning Monday’s Game 5 would be just four days after his last start. At that point, the Guardians will have to decide if Bieber on short rest is the better option than Civale, who hasn’t pitched since the last game of the regular season.

“It’s different with everybody,” Francona said, when asked about pitching guys on short rest. “You can look at numbers, which is OK, too. But every scenario is different. … Like, how much do they get pushed the game before? Is it rain-shortened? Do they come out? There’s a lot to think about. Putting guys in situations they are not comfortable with because routine is so big. So there’s a lot to think about.”

Speaking of rain shortened …
The Guardians are no strangers to weather problems this year, and they already have their watch up for Thursday’s forecast. Because rain could be a problem, the team is trying to work through how that would affect Bieber moving forward.

“Like, say we play Thursday and we play two innings,” Francona said. “I mean, we don’t know. But it’s real that there’s weather there. So you just try to plan out the best you can, so you can adjust the best you can.”

If Bieber only gets a few innings in before a weather delay, it’s very likely he’d be ready to turn around and pitch for a potential Game 5 on Monday. But as Cleveland has had to learn the hard way this year, the club will have to wait to see what the weather brings for Game 2 in New York.

Extra off-days
Assuming rain doesn’t stand in the way in the ALDS, the Guardians know they can have an advantage with deploying their top bullpen arms in the first two games of the series without worrying about overtaxing them, due to extra off-days. The team will be off on Wednesday and Friday this series, meaning all arms have a chance to rest after Games 1 and 2. The strategy may have to change a little when Games 3, 4 and 5 (assuming all are needed) are all in a row, but for now, Cleveland can expect to rely on its best relievers in New York.

“Certainly allows us flexibility with the bullpen -- a game, a day off, a game, a day off,” pitching coach Carl Willis said. “[It] does create somewhat of an issue -- if you look at, you know, getting to Game 4 and potentially Game 5 -- of who to bring back. Obviously your Game 2 starter would be on short rest if he pitched Game 5. So there are a lot of things to think about and digest, and obviously the weather can be a factor, also.”

The Guardians will need their best relievers through this series. The Yankees had an exceptional bullpen this year, owning the third-best relief ERA in the Majors (2.97). Cleveland didn’t rank too far behind, coming in fifth with a 3.05 ERA. But the Guardians need everything to go right this series to advance to the ALCS, which includes being able to get top-notch performances from their relievers.

“If you're playing back to back, and maybe you're down a run or two, you might be a little hesitant to use the backend of your bullpen, just trying to chase a win,” Francona said. “But if you have a day off, you're more apt to maybe use a guy that maybe you wouldn't.”