"It Meant A Little More Tonight:" Shane Bieber, Guardians Send Off Terry Francona With Victory

The Cleveland Guardians end their season at Progressive Field with a win over the Cincinnati Reds.

© David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

After 81 games, the Cleveland Guardians wrapped up their 2023 season at Progressive Field. They walked off the field on Wednesday night with a 4-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds and retained the Ohio Cup for another season.

The story of the night was undoubtedly centered around Terry Francona as he likely heads for retirement following the final game of the year.

Progressive Field handed out red "Thank You Tito" shirts and honored the future hall-of-fame manager with a touching tribute video before the first pitch. There was a lot on the line for the Reds who are still technically in playoff contention but it never felt like the Guardians were going to lose this one.

All of this started with Cleveland's starting pitcher Shane Bieber who set the tone of the game early on.

The former Cy Young winner and All-Star Game MVP spent a majority of the second half of the season on the injured list and just recently made his return to the mound. Bieber's first start back didn't grow great but fans were treated to a vintage performance on Wednesday night.

Bieber pitched 6.0 strong inning allowing just one run on five hits and struck out seven batters without issuing a walk. He admitted after the game there was a little extra motivation.

"It meant a little more tonight," said Bieber in his postgame press conference.

These feelings echoed throughout the clubhouse following Wednesday's game. Steven Kwan chimed in saying "(Francona) believed in me when I didn't believe in myself." Jose Ramirez even blocked the dugout steps so Tito couldn't head down to the locker room before the fans could give him a roaring applause. 

Sep 27, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians manager Terry Francona (77) reacts after a win over the Cincinnati Reds at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports / © David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Francona has always been there for his players and always will be. He said after the game "I will never not root for these guys. I love these guys" and those emotions go both ways.

That's why it was important for the Guardians' players to send off Francona with a hard-fought win at Progressive Field.