MINNEAPOLIS -- The frustration was oozing out of Tanner Bibee as he chose his words after his first start of the 2024 season just five days ago.

There could’ve been a handful of things Bibee nitpicked about his outing, but the one thing he thought was the difference in the game was the five walks he allowed in four innings. And if there’s anything he proved in his runner-up Rookie of the Year campaign last year, he knows how to make adjustments on the fly. That’s exactly what he did on Thursday.

Bibee didn’t allow a single free pass in the series opener against the Twins while racking up nine strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings in Cleveland’s 4-2 win over Minnesota at Target Field. He grinded through some innings, working around a few hits and battling a high pitch count early that prevented him from completing six frames. However, he corrected the biggest issue from his last start and put his team in position to walk away with its sixth win of the year.

“I think I was just going into this with a little chip on my shoulder,” Bibee said. “Last start was not where I wanted to be.”

To right the ship, Bibee first needed to re-establish his fastball. Without command of that, he wasn’t going to fare much better than he did on Saturday. The righty said doing that was the key to his success Thursday (and for every start he makes). And it allowed his secondary stuff to blossom.

As Guardians manager Stephen Vogt watched Bibee’s first start, he knew the slider wasn’t as sharp as it’s been in the past. This time, that wasn’t the case. Bibee leaned on his slider the most on Thursday and induced seven whiffs among the 12 swings against the offering.

“His slider was sharper today,” Vogt said. “It was the same slider whether it was in the zone or under and he was just executing that better. His changeup was a little more effective today. … And locating the fastball. When you do that, you’re going to [have] one-run baseball.”

Aside from a solo homer by Twins second baseman Edouard Julien, Bibee walked away from this outing largely unscathed. But the Guardians wanted to split up Bibee and Shane Bieber in the rotation for a reason. They know that these guys can provide the length required to save the bullpen on most nights they get the ball. As Bibee’s strikeout totals went up, so did his pitch count, prompting him to leave the game after 5 1/3 frames.

“I’m always trying to be aware of my pitch count,” Bibee said. “[It determines] whether I have to really attack these guys or whether I have some room for error.”

Bibee still isn’t in peak form, and no one is expecting him to be just two starts into the season. But Thursday’s outing showed he’s on the right path toward being the dominant hurler he was last year. Now that he’s starting to get comfortable with his arsenal, the next step for Bibee will be honing in on his efficiency so he can become that reliable innings-eater that he proved he could be in ‘23.

“I’m always trying to be aware of my pitch count,” Bibee said. “[It determines] whether I have to really attack these guys or whether I have some room for error.”

A few days ago, Bibee stood in front of his locker in Oakland, struggling to come up with anything to say as his disappointment in himself took over. This time around was much different. The clubhouse erupted as he was speaking to media after the game, yelling things to make him laugh and lose his train of thought. It wasn’t a first-week-of-the-season vibe. This felt like a team in the thick of a division race … only in April.

Bibee isn’t the only one with a chip on his shoulder. His whole team feels the same way, and the camaraderie they continue to establish and build upon is adding an energy to the clubhouse that wasn’t there in 2023. It only grew stronger against their division rivals.

“These games inherently mean the most,” Bibee said. “The division can decide whether we go to the playoffs or not, so it’s important to win these games.”