The Cleveland Indians are headed to the ALCS! While We’re Waiting
October 11, 2016Buckeyes locked in at No. 2 in AP, Coaches Polls
October 11, 2016In Game 3 of the ALDS, the Cleveland Indians ensured the tales of facing the Boston Red Sox in 1999 and 2007 would remain merely ghost stories to scare young Tribe fans as they melt marshmallow’s around campfires each summer for their s’mores. For on October 10, the Indians swept the Red Sox from MLB postseason play in a tense victory, 4-3.
Fenway Park has gone as silent as a local cathedral here in the early goings. Tom Hamilton could have repeated the utterance throughout the ballgame as any momentum the Boston Red Sox attempted to build was quickly muted by the Cleveland Indians, mirrored by the levels of the crowd’s audible enthusiasm. The credits closed upon the career of slugger David Ortiz, but the alcoholic racousness of an Irish wake would be reserved for those within the confines of the Indians clubhouse in the the famously Celtic-influenced city.
Lil’ Cowboy is all grown up
Any baseball team missing two of the best three starters on their staff should be at a disadvantage in pitching, but such would not be the case for the Indians in any of the three games.
Game 3 belonged to Josh Tomlin. The embattled starter has been quite good for the Tribe over the past two seasons other than a horrific stretch in August. However, ERAs of 3.02 in 2015, 3.43 in April through July this year and 1.69 in September had been overshadowed by the cover-your-eyes 11.48 ERA in August and 36 home runs given up on the year.
As opposing starter Clay Buchholz dodged trouble in the early goings, a locked-in Tomlin navigated those initial innings by facing a mere 13 batters through four innings (just one more batter than the minimum). The Red Sox patient approach at the plate was for naught against a starter who constantly throws strikes.
Tomlin would hand the game over to the bullpen with a 4-1 lead though a runner, Dustin Pedroia, left on first base who would cross home before the end of the sixth inning. The critical five innings pitched made sure that manager Terry Francona could limit bullpen usage to only the most reliable arms.
Josh Tomlin lived out a lifelong dream tonight. Pretty cool. pic.twitter.com/pF7Wq8gOQH
— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) October 11, 2016
Jump on ’em early
Carlos Santana began the game with meek contact to Xander Boegarts, who misplayed the ball allowing Santana to reach safely and for fans to wonder if the Red Sox defense would continue to crumble as it had in Game 1 and Game 2. The Indians would reach safely with the leadoff hitter in each of the first two innings. The Tribe would have RISP in the first and third innings. Buchholz was on the ropes but the round’s bell rang before runs could be scored.
The fourth inning finally saw the Tribe break through. With Jose Ramirez and Lonnie Chisenhall occupying the first two bags without an out recorded, Crisp sacrificed himself to put them into scoring position for Tyler Naquin. Over his last 42 games of the regular season, Naquin struggled at the plate hitting .243/.338/.324. The postseason had not gotten much better as he stepped to the plate having struck out in all three of his appearances. Naquin swung at the first pitch, which he missed by a ton as it bounced on the dirt. However, the second pitch was a strike and it found the wood of the bat enough to drive it into right field, scoring the games first two runs.
Coco Crisp is another player who had not done much to help the Indians offense. He batted .208/.323/.377 upon being traded to the Tribe in August and was without a hit in five appearances when he stepped into the batter’s box in the sixth inning with Ramirez on second and one out. Crisp hitting a home run 395 feet over the Green Monster in left center was not the most probable outcome, but it will forever be the one recorded in the scorebooks. Because baseball.
Ain’t no quit from dem Sox
Boston desperately wanted to put the pressure decidedly back onto the Indians as the postponement of Sunday’s game meant the final three contests would be in back-to-back-to-back days. If the Red Sox could come back and force a Game 4, then the Indian’s reliance on their bullpen could be exposed as Andrew Miller (35 pitches) and Cody Allen (40 pitches) were both extended on Monday night.
The Indians needed to be clutch down the home stretch to finish off this series. After giving up the inherited run from Tomlin, Andrew Miller struck out Hanley Ramirez on three swinging strikes to end the sixth inning. Bryan Shaw gave up a single and hard-hit grounder to third base, but Ramirez bailed him out with a great snare and was even able to get the lead runner out.
Cody Allen came in for the four-out save. Mostly, he came in so that Shaw would not face David Ortiz, but Allen was not sharp. He walked Ortiz, gave up a run-scoring single to Ramirez, and might have given away the game if not for Boegarts line drive being hit directly at Jason Kipnis. Allen would get two quick outs in the ninth, but Jackie Bradley Jr. and Dustin Pedroia would once again create drama by reaching base.
With a full count and two outs in the ninth inning, clinging to a one-run lead with runners on first and second…well, Hamilton can take us home from here.
https://vine.co/v/5XhriMELUMM
Reactions
Cleveland loves its sports teams more than you love your family
— Kevin Jones (@Mr_KevinJones) October 11, 2016
Why push Miller and Allen? Now they have three days' rest until the ALCS starts. Terry Francona's October excellence cannot be overstated.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 11, 2016
Jason Kipnis, on the Indians proving their doubters wrong: pic.twitter.com/GdDWCqluFS
— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) October 11, 2016
When you're wrong, you're wrong and I was wrong about demise of Cleveland Indians https://t.co/C4ItZXVj1s
— paul hoynes (@hoynsie) October 11, 2016
Couldn't steal this sign, so just took a picture of it. #RallyTogether pic.twitter.com/BCRxZ0DXkj
— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) October 11, 2016
Congrats @BauerOutage ! Take care of business in the ALCS! pic.twitter.com/LI49Ejcr0A
— Kevin Poppe (@TheKevinPoppe) October 11, 2016
Tribe – no Cookie, Salazar, Brantley, or Gomes – just swept the Red Sox. This team just keeps coming…
— The DiaTribe (@TheDiaTribe) October 11, 2016
https://twitter.com/Indians/status/785666234406895616
Cleveland, man. Pretty cool. pic.twitter.com/bBNlWCAg29
— Jonah Keri (@jonahkeri) October 11, 2016
The Indians and Browns reached the championship in 1954. Cavs reached the Finals and Indians reached the ALCS in 2007. #Cleveland
— Hayden Grove (@H_Grove) October 11, 2016
The Indians have won 12 of 17 games since Carlos Carrasco broke his hand
— August Fagerstrom (@AugustFG_) October 11, 2016
Oh, good, they need a multi-inning reliever. https://t.co/8DQaFsIRWW
— Joe Sheehan (@joe_sheehan) October 11, 2016
53 Comments
https://media.giphy.com/media/C6dxgMkEi9mfK/giphy.gif
No way man. He started running when he saw the guy headed back into fair territory. It was 8 seconds from hit to when the guy had the ball on his knees. I just timed it with MLBTV. He started running at 5-6 seconds after the pop up.
I guess Jonathan Lucroy hitched his wagon to the wrong train.