In a heated bid to jolt his teammates, the Cleveland Guardians’ $48 million right-hander let his emotions show in the team’s 9-0 loss to the Colorado Rockies. The 25-year-old hurler’s frustration stemmed from a tough fourth inning that included two earned runs, a walk, a wild pitch, a costly throwing error, and three hits. As he made his way back towards the Guardians’ dugout, the frustration from that inning made the most of him.

That entire minute was well broadcasted, where Tanner Bibee voiced an intense two-word message in the dugout. It was unclear who it was addressed to, if anyone. However, it didn’t require a lip reader to know that he said, “WAKE UP!”

It drew immediate attention from manager Stephen Vogt, who confronted Bibee in front of everyone in the dugout. Vogt did witness that the Guardians are losing their winning odds. However, he didn’t like Bibee’s timing of the reaction. He directed him to “take it downstairs” to the clubhouse tunnel if he had something to say.

In the clip of the moment, sideways glances from teammates Bo Naylor and José Ramírez were also captured. While Vogt’s response wasn’t clear in the clip, Bibee himself revealed it after the game. “(Vogt’s) message to me was just not like that or not in that time, and he’s completely right,” he acknowledged.

Later, in postgame media availability, Vogt addressed Bibee’s frustration and said, “It’s one of those fiery moments that happens in competition in a long season and Tanner has been and will continue to be one of our best. We know the competitive fire is what drives him. Emotions are high right now.” Apparently, the Guardians are in a rough spot. Currently at 64-66, they have dropped nine of their last ten games. It’s a precipitous slide that has dragged them from the precipice of holding a postseason spot to being in danger of fading out of the picture.

Guardians’ struggles put pressure on Tanner Bibee to deliver

The Cleveland Guardians’ bullpen has faltered dangerously and repeatedly. The starting pitchers haven’t been able to go deep in games, and the offense has gone bad just as much. When the club handed him a five-year extension earlier this spring, the expectations were clear. He was supposed to be the anchor of the Guardians, the one who could stabilize the rotation.

The Guardians’ offensive struggles are a major issue. They have been shut out in three games back-to-back for the first time since June 12-14, 1991. They’ve gone 28 innings without scoring, last putting a run on the board in the eighth inning of Friday’s loss to the Rangers. During last week, the team posted a major league-low slash line of .176/.226/.256.

Bibee himself has faced enough struggles with his game. Entering Monday, he carried a 4.62 ERA over 142 1/3 innings, allowing at least two earned runs in each of his last 15 starts. He’s only gone beyond six innings once in the last two months.

That leaves the bullpen with more work and adds to the team’s ongoing struggles. With little to no room for error left in the season, the Guardians now need their top players to carry the team.