CLEVELAND -- Everything you needed to know about how Tanner Bibee felt coming off the mound before the start of the sixth inning was reflected in the way he spiked his glove down the stairs en route to the home clubhouse.

An injury wasn’t supposed to be how it ended. Bibee was rolling against the Tigers on Wednesday in Cleveland's 2-1 victory at Progressive Field, having given up one run on two hits (one of which was a solo homer) with four strikeouts and one walk in five innings. He was about to warm up for the sixth with just 67 pitches under his belt and the game tied at 1 when he had what was later called "lower extremity cramping" as he ran onto the field.

The Guardians’ medical staff met Bibee on the mound and offered him some sort of drink to help combat the cramps. Bibee tried to walk it off. He crouched down just beside the rubber stretching his hips and quads, but nothing was solving the problem. Guardians manager Stephen Vogt took two steps closer to Bibee with a sympathetic head tilt signifying, “It’s probably best that you come out now.”

Vogt wrapped his arm around Bibee’s back and ushered him off the field. That’s when Bibee released his anger down the dugout stairs, knowing what he still had left in the tank. But for the Guardians, it’s more than simply enjoying the Bibee Show. This is the one hurler in the rotation that this team has been able to rely on to eat up innings no matter what. Yes, he made it through five, but at just 67 pitches, he could’ve gone another two or three frames, depending on his efficiency.

The Guardians are looking for all the help for their bullpen that they can get and Bibee was set to give nearly everyone a night off. All the way up until an injury wouldn’t allow him. Instead, Cleveland had to turn to the ‘pen to start the sixth, calling on Scott Barlow, who worked a 1-2-3 inning on short notice.