Lively didn't factor into the decision in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Red Sox, giving up four runs on six hits and three walks over five innings. He struck out four.
Half the hits off Lively went for extra bases, including homers by Wilyer Abreu in the first inning and Rafael Devers in the third. The right-hander has had an up-and-down beginning to the season, and Lively will take a 4.40 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 23:11 K:BB through 30.2 innings into his next outing, which lines up to come at home next week against the Twins.
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Guardians' Ben Lively: Starting Saturday
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Lively will start the opening game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Red Sox, Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com reports.
Lively had been scheduled to start Friday, but rain postponed the game and it was moved to Saturday as part of a doubleheader. The right-hander is coming off his first win of the season in his previous outing and has a 3.86 ERA over 25.2 innings.
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Guardians' Ben Lively: Captures first win of 2025
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Lively (1-2) earned the win against the Pirates on Saturday, allowing four hits and one walk while striking out three across 5.1 scoreless innings.
It was the second time in five starts that Lively didn't yield a run this season, and he was two outs shy from logging his first quality start of the year. While he has given up the eighth-most hits in the American League (25), his efforts Saturday lowered his ERA and WHIP to 3.86 and 1.25, respectively, across 25.2 innings.
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Guardians' Ben Lively: Coughs up four runs
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Lively (0-2) allowed four runs on seven hits and two walks over six innings Sunday, striking out five and taking a loss against Kansas City.
Lively turned in three scoreless frames before Salvador Perez knocked a two-run homer in the fourth inning. The Royals plated two more on Maikel Garcia's double in the fifth. Lively forced 12 swinging strikes on 93 total pitches in his longest start of the season. His ERA rose to 4.87 with a 16:7 K:BB through 20.1 innings. Lively is lined up to start in Pittsburgh next weekend.
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Guardians' Ben Lively: Blanks White Sox over five innings
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Lively tossed five scoreless innings Tuesday against the White Sox, allowing two hits and three walks while striking out four in the no-decision.
Lively worked around two walks in the first and another jam in the fourth to keep the Sox off the board. It was his second straight start issuing multiple walks, but he was able to keep the ball in the park after allowing a home run in both of his first two outings. With the Guardians playing five games over the next five days, Lively is set to take the bump again versus the Royals this weekend.
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Guardians' Ben Lively: Roughed up in loss
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Lively (0-1) took the loss against the Padres on Wednesday, allowing four earned runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out four batters in 4.1 frames.
Lively got off to a decent start Wednesday, striking out four of the first nine batters he faced. However, things took a turn for the worse in the third inning after four consecutive hits -- capped off by a Jackson Merrill homer -- gave San Diego a 4-0 lead that it would never relinquish. Lively is now up to a 6.75 ERA through his first two starts of the year but should have a decent chance to bounce back in his next outing, which is tentatively scheduled to come next week against the White Sox.
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Guardians' Ben Lively: Decent in surprise start
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Lively did not factor into the decision in Thursday's 7-4 win over Kansas City, allowing three runs on four hits over five innings. He struck out three.
Lively was announced as Cleveland's Opening Day starter Thursday morning after Tanner Bibee (illness) was a late scratch. The 33-year-old Lively filled in admirably, with all of Kansas City's offense coming on Vinnie Pasquantino's three-run homer in the third. Lively figures to hold down a spot at the backend of Cleveland's rotation after going 13-10 with a 3.81 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 118 strikeouts in 151 innings last year.
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Guardians' Ben Lively: Draws short-notice Opening Day nod
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Lively will start Thursday's season opener versus the Royals in Kansas City, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.
Lively had been expected to make his 2025 debut during the Guardians' second series next week in San Diego, but he'll instead draw the Opening Day nod after Tanner Bibee was scratched from the assignment due to a stomach illness. The 33-year-old right-hander will be pitching on five days' rest after covering six innings and 81 pitches in his final Cactus League start March 21.
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Guardians' Ben Lively: First spring hiccup
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Lively allowed four runs on four hits and two walks while striking out two over 3.2 innings in Sunday's spring start against the Brewers.
Lively breezed through two innings before giving up his first Cactus League home run in the third and more trouble in the fourth. The right-hander had three largely uneventful spring starts before tasting adversity in his fourth outing. He threw 74 pitches (50 strikes) and continues to build up in preparation for the regular season.
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Guardians' Ben Lively: Strengthens rotation bid
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Lively scattered three hits and one walk while striking out three over four scoreless innings in Monday's Cactus League start against the Royals.
Lively strengthened his case for a spot in the rotation during his third Cactus League start against a lineup with several Kansas City regulars. He's allowed just one run over nine spring innings. The right-hander won't blow away many hitters, but he doesn't hurt himself with walks. The key will be locating and preventing the long ball. He's penciled in as one of the five members of the rotation in the latest roster projection offered by Mandy Bell and Tim Stebbins of MLB.com.
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Guardians' Ben Lively: Limits damage in spring debut
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Lively allowed one run on five hits and one walk while striking out one over two innings in Sunday's spring game against the Angels.
Lively made his first Cactus League start and allowed much base traffic but managed to stifle the damage to just one run. He threw 23 strikes among his 33 offerings, which was his goal coming in. "All good, just trying to locate everything, not letting it rip all the way," the pitcher told Steve Stockmar of MLB.com. "Felt good to be out there." Lively is coming off his best season in the majors, posting a 3.81 ERA over a career-high 151 regular-season innings. The accumulation of innings was the prominent reason he was left off the ALDS roster last year and limited to the one relief appearance in the ALCS. The right-hander's goal is to prove he has the stamina to be included in any postseason series.
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Guardians' Ben Lively: Inks new deal with Guardians
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Lively signed a one-year, $2.25 million deal with the Guardians to avoid arbitration Friday, Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Lively was an effective member of the Guardians' rotation in 2024, maintaining a 3.81 ERA with a 118:49 K:BB across 151 innings. He battled some inconsistency due to his contact-heavy approach, but he is a strong candidate to begin the season in the rotation.
The Guardians added Lively to their ALCS roster Tuesday.
He's taking the roster spot vacated by Alex Cobb, who is now out for the remainder of the postseason with a back injury. Lively hasn't made an appearance since his final start of the regular season back on Sept. 28, but he's a candidate to make a start during the ALCS in Cobb's place.
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Guardians' Ben Lively: Left off ALDS roster
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Lively is not included on the Guardians' roster for the American League Division Series versus Detroit.
Lively was a key part of Cleveland's rotation during the regular season, posting a 3.81 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 118:49 K:BB over 151 innings across 29 starts while going 13-10. He had a few poor starts near the end of the campaign and logged a 4.53 ERA along with a 1.39 WHIP over the final two months, which may have played a part in the decision to leave him off roster for the ALDS. The starting pitchers on Cleveland's ALDS roster include Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, Matthew Boyd and Alex Cobb (finger).
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Guardians' Ben Lively: Tagged with 10th loss
Rotowire
Lively (13-10) took the loss Saturday against the Astros, allowing four runs (two earned) on five hits and four walks while striking out four over four innings.
Lively didn't have his best stuff for his final regular-season start as the four walks tied a season high. It's a tough ending for what has otherwise been a great season for the 32-year-old. Lively heads into the playoffs with a 3.81 ERA over 151 innings in his first season with the Guardians.
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