TORONTO -- A most unlikely pitching performance helped put a most unexpected
team into the World Series.
Authentic NBA Jerseys Cheap .Cleveland rookie
Ryan Merritt came out of nowhere and coolly delivered a lead to the Andrew
Miller-led bullpen, and the Indians won their first pennant since 1997 by
blanking Toronto 3-0 Wednesday in Game 5 of the AL Championship
Series.Cleveland, which has never hosted a World Series opener, will play Game 1
at Progressive Field on Tuesday night against the Chicago Cubs or Los Angeles
Dodgers.Manager Terry Franconas team will try to augment whats already been a
scintillating year in Cleveland after LeBron James and the Cavaliers earned the
citys first major pro sports championship since 1964. The Indians title drought
dates to 1948.We always said if we could do it with this group it would be so
special because this is as close to a family feel as you can get in a
professional setting. So for that part of it, it is beyond feeling good,
Francona said.The Dodgers led the Cubs 2-1 going into Game 4 of the NLCS on
Wednesday night. Cleveland didnt play either club this season.Miller, acquired
from the New York Yankees in a midseason trade, was selected the ALCS MVP as the
Indians took their sixth pennant.I feel like Ive said the word `special a
million times in the last 20 or 30 minutes. But its the truth. Its a blast to be
a part of, Miller said.With all of 11 major league innings under his belt -- and
only one start, on Sept. 30 -- Merritt took the mound and looked just like a
seasoned vet. The 24-year-old lefty retired the first 10 batters and allowed a
mere two hits before being pulled after 4 1/3 innings.I know they were counting
on me, Merritt said. Before the game, they came and told me they had my back,
everybody had my back, good or bad. So that takes some pressure off, and I just
went out there and pitched and trusted my team.Merritt got taps on his heart and
hat from teammates when he left the mound. Then it was up to Clevelands tireless
relievers to hold a three-run lead against the wild-card Blue Jays.Miller again
did most of the heavy lifting, going 2 2/3 innings before Cody Allen worked the
ninth for a save. Winning pitcher Bryan Shaw tossed an inning before Miller came
in.Carlos Santana and Coco Crisp homered for the Indians.With starting pitchers
Carlos Carrasco, Danny Salazar and Trevor Bauer dealing with injuries, the
Indians kept defying the odds.Cleveland overtook defending World Series champion
Kansas City and topped a $196 million Detroit team to win the AL Central, then
put an abrupt end to Big Papis career, sweeping David Ortiz and the Boston Red
Sox in the Division Series.The Indians stayed on a roll in the ALCS, shutting
down the banging Blue Jays. Cleveland won despite hitting .168 in the series,
with slick-fielding shortstop Francisco Lindor leading the way in going 7 for
19.Toronto lost in the ALCS for the second straight year.Im sure there will be
some disappointments and grumbling and complaining about how you fell short
again, but thats not coming from me, manager John Gibbons said. Because I know
what these guys did, and I think its a pretty good accomplishment. The key is we
want to take that next step one of these days. Hopefully, its next year.Merritt
-- a Texas native drafted in the 16th round by Cleveland in 2011 -- hadnt
pitched in a game since his late September start, although hed gotten some work
in this month in the instructional league at the Indians spring training complex
in Arizona.A day after Toronto averted a sweep, the crowd at the roaring Rogers
Centre expected the Blue Jays to roll over the rookie.Maybe the Blue Jays did,
too.With our experience in our lineup, Im pretty sure hes going to be shaking in
his boots more than we are, Toronto slugger Jose Bautista said after Game
4.After the Blue Jays were eliminated, Bautista took a different tone.He seemed
to make the right pitches at the right time, Bautista said. Hats off to
him.Merritt struck out three batters in the first two innings -- all looking --
and didnt allow a baserunner until Josh Donaldsons one-out single in the fourth.
After Russell Martins bloop single with one out in the fifth, Francona leaned
again on a bullpen that soaked up 8 1/3 innings in a Game 3 win Monday.Shaw
pitched an inning, and Miller came on with one out in the sixth and a runner on.
Donaldson bounced into a double play on Millers first pitch, and the tall lefty
made it through the seventh and eighth with little trouble before giving way to
Allen.Cleveland took a 1-0 lead in the first when Mike Napoli doubled and left
fielder Ezequiel Carrera misplayed the ball off the wall for an error. Lindor
scored from first on the play.Santana and Crisp added solo shots in the third
and fourth off Toronto starter Marco Estrada to put the AL Central champions up
3-0.TRAINERS ROOMIndians: Francona said before the game that Bauer was supposed
to have his lacerated right pinkie looked by a doctor again. The idea was to see
if the right-hander could potentially pitch out of the bullpen at all during
this series after being lifted when he was bleeding in the first inning of Game
3.Now the question is whether Bauer can be of any help in the World
Series.Obviously, he needs to heal, but he cant just not throw, Francona
said.Bauer sliced his pinkie last week repairing one of the drones he enjoys
flying as a hobby. During the boozy clubhouse celebration after Game 5, Bauer
had his right arm wrapped in protective plastic.UP NEXTIndians: Cleveland
returns home and rests up for the World Series.Blue Jays: Toronto faces an
uncertain offseason after making the postseason as a wild card. Bautista, Edwin
Encarnacion and Michael Saunders are in the final year of their contracts.
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when sport "is considered only in economic terms and consequently for victory at
every cost . WASHINGTON -- Game 2 of the NL Division Series between the Los
Angeles Dodgers and Washington Nationals has been rained out.Saturdays game was
postponed to 1:08 p.m. Sunday. The Dodgers lead 1-0 in the best-of-five
matchup.The rain had already washed out batting practice at Nationals Park. Rich
Hill had been scheduled to start for Los Angeles against Tanner Roark.Shortstop
Danny Espinosa had been in the starting lineup for Washington, batting seventh
after going 0 for 3 with three strikeouts in a Game 1 loss.
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Jerseys. Asked why he continues to stick with Espinosa, Nationals
manager Dusty Baker asked: Who else do I have?Bakers only lineup change had been
catcher Jose Lobaton replacing Pedro Severino. The Dodgers were set to go with
the same eight position players who started Friday in a 4-3 win.
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