Major League Baseball announced yesterday that it has approved a roster substitution for the Toronto Blue Jays due to an injury sustained by infielder Devon Travis. Travis will be replaced on the American League Championship Series roster by infielder Justin Smoak.
Travis underwent an MRI exam yesterday, and Dr. Gary Green, MLB Medical Director, confirmed the injury after communicating with the evaluating physician, as well as reviewing the test imaging and Travis' medical history.
MLB Postseason rules provide that a Club may request permission from the Commissioner's Office to replace a player who is unable to play because of an injury. The Commissioner's Office may approve or disapprove the request based on the specific facts and circumstances. In accordance with the rules, Travis will be ineligible to return in the World Series if the Blue Jays advance.
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Sunday, October 16, 2016
Miller dazzles, Indians edge Blue Jays in Game 2 of ALCS
CLEVELAND (AP) -- They don't have a true superstar, an embarrassment of All-Stars or a celebrity following. That's the NBA champion Cavaliers, who play next door.
The Indians, though, have depth, chemistry, one of baseball's best managers and quite possibly the most dominant bullpen weapon in the game.
Andrew Miller has Cleveland two wins from the World Series - and Toronto batters flailing.
Josh Tomlin baffled Blue Jays batters for nearly six innings and Miller, acquired just ahead of the trade deadline for exactly these pressure-packed October moments, blew them away as Cleveland edged Toronto 2-1 on Saturday to take 2-0 lead in the AL Championship Series.
Carlos Santana homered off 20-game winner J.A. Happ, and Francisco Lindor had an RBI single for the Indians. They won the second straight tense game in this series and have won five straight postseason games for the first time in their 116-year history.
An afterthought in August, Tomlin has emerged as an unlikely October star for the Indians. He allowed one run and three hits in 5 2/3 innings for his second win of the postseason - he won the Game 3 Division Series clincher in Boston - before Cleveland manager Terry Francona handed the ball to the magnificent Miller, who is making the Blue Jays look like Little Leaguers.
The lanky left-hander struck out the side in the seventh, two more in the eighth and has 10 strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings in the series. He has not allowed a run in 16 career postseason innings.
"He's one of the best I've ever seen," said closer Cody Allen , who worked the ninth to close the three-hitter for his second straight save. "He goes out there for two innings, shuts them down and gets a lot of swings and misses. Whenever you get to come in behind a guy like that, you're in a pretty good spot."
So are the Indians, who had never been up 2-0 in four previous ALCS trips.
Miller has been the difference so far, blowing through the Blue Jays. Before getting a groundout in the eighth, he struck out seven straight over two games.
"There's a reason we gave up what we did for him," said Francona, referring to the four top prospects the Indians sent to the Yankees in July. "We thought that he could be a guy that we could leverage in situations like we have. And it would make our bullpen that much better and give us a chance to keep playing. And that's exactly what he's doing."
After bludgeoning Texas in the ALDS by hitting eight homers and scoring 22 runs, Toronto has one run and 10 hits - eight singles and a pair of doubles - in two games against the Indians, dropping to 0-2 in the ALCS for the second straight year.
Bautista is 0 for 6 in the series with five strikeouts and in a 0-for-14 postseason tailspin. The only bat flipping Joey Bats has done is back into the rack.
"We didn't get destroyed or anything in these two games, but we've got our work cut out for us," Jays catcher Russell Martin said. "History shows we can hit the ball. We're going to have the opportunity to do that at home."
The series heads north to Toronto's raucous Rogers Centre for Game 3 on Monday, with Cleveland's Trevor Bauer slated to face Marcus Stroman.
Tomlin originally was scheduled to pitch Game 3, but he was pushed up after Bauer cut his right pinkie while repairing one of the drones he enjoys flying as a hobby. The 31-year-old Tomlin pitched himself out of the rotation by going 0-5 with a 11.48 ERA in August, but injuries to Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar gave him another chance and he's made the most of it.
Tomlin relied on his curveball to keep the Blue Jays guessing.
"I needed to establish I could throw it for a strike early on, and then it was a pretty good pitch," he said.
Miller's slider buckled the Blue Jays and delighted his teammates.
"I don't even know how to say it," Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis said. "It's fun to watch. I've faced that before, which is not fun to watch."
POST(SEASON)POURRI: Indians RF Lonnie Chisenhall extended his postseason hitting streak to six games, equaling Jhonny Peralta's team record to begin a career. . Lindor has five RBIs in four playoff games. . Josh Donaldson's double in the third inning made him Toronto's playoff leader in the category for a season (six) and career (nine). ... The winning team in ALCS Game 2 has advanced to the World Series 24 times in the last 30 years. ... Teams holding a 2-0 series lead are 24-3 in the LCS under its present best-of-seven format.
MILLER TIME
Miller spent his first six big league seasons as a starter, but has no desire to do it again. "I think that ship has sailed, I had my chance," said Miller, who went 10-1 with a 1.45 ERA in 70 regular-season outings this season. "The bullpen is a lot of fun. I like coming to the ballpark every day knowing I have a chance to pitch."
CHEERLEADER
For the second time in the postseason, LeBron James and most of his Cavs teammates showed up to root on the Indians.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Blue Jays 2B Devon Travis is done for the postseason with a right knee injury he aggravated during Game 1. Toronto was granted a roster substitution by Major League Baseball and replaced Travis with 1B Justin Smoak. Travis would not be eligible for the World Series if the Blue Jays advance.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays: Stroman allowed one run in both regular-season starts - no decisions- against Cleveland, posting a 1.29 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 14 innings.
Indians: Bauer was 1-0 with a 1.38 ERA and 16 strikeouts in two outings against Toronto. Scheduled to start the following day, he came on in relief and pitched five scoreless innings in Cleveland's 2-1, 19-inning win July 1.
The Indians, though, have depth, chemistry, one of baseball's best managers and quite possibly the most dominant bullpen weapon in the game.
Andrew Miller has Cleveland two wins from the World Series - and Toronto batters flailing.
Josh Tomlin baffled Blue Jays batters for nearly six innings and Miller, acquired just ahead of the trade deadline for exactly these pressure-packed October moments, blew them away as Cleveland edged Toronto 2-1 on Saturday to take 2-0 lead in the AL Championship Series.
Carlos Santana homered off 20-game winner J.A. Happ, and Francisco Lindor had an RBI single for the Indians. They won the second straight tense game in this series and have won five straight postseason games for the first time in their 116-year history.
An afterthought in August, Tomlin has emerged as an unlikely October star for the Indians. He allowed one run and three hits in 5 2/3 innings for his second win of the postseason - he won the Game 3 Division Series clincher in Boston - before Cleveland manager Terry Francona handed the ball to the magnificent Miller, who is making the Blue Jays look like Little Leaguers.
The lanky left-hander struck out the side in the seventh, two more in the eighth and has 10 strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings in the series. He has not allowed a run in 16 career postseason innings.
"He's one of the best I've ever seen," said closer Cody Allen , who worked the ninth to close the three-hitter for his second straight save. "He goes out there for two innings, shuts them down and gets a lot of swings and misses. Whenever you get to come in behind a guy like that, you're in a pretty good spot."
So are the Indians, who had never been up 2-0 in four previous ALCS trips.
Miller has been the difference so far, blowing through the Blue Jays. Before getting a groundout in the eighth, he struck out seven straight over two games.
"There's a reason we gave up what we did for him," said Francona, referring to the four top prospects the Indians sent to the Yankees in July. "We thought that he could be a guy that we could leverage in situations like we have. And it would make our bullpen that much better and give us a chance to keep playing. And that's exactly what he's doing."
After bludgeoning Texas in the ALDS by hitting eight homers and scoring 22 runs, Toronto has one run and 10 hits - eight singles and a pair of doubles - in two games against the Indians, dropping to 0-2 in the ALCS for the second straight year.
Bautista is 0 for 6 in the series with five strikeouts and in a 0-for-14 postseason tailspin. The only bat flipping Joey Bats has done is back into the rack.
"We didn't get destroyed or anything in these two games, but we've got our work cut out for us," Jays catcher Russell Martin said. "History shows we can hit the ball. We're going to have the opportunity to do that at home."
The series heads north to Toronto's raucous Rogers Centre for Game 3 on Monday, with Cleveland's Trevor Bauer slated to face Marcus Stroman.
Tomlin originally was scheduled to pitch Game 3, but he was pushed up after Bauer cut his right pinkie while repairing one of the drones he enjoys flying as a hobby. The 31-year-old Tomlin pitched himself out of the rotation by going 0-5 with a 11.48 ERA in August, but injuries to Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar gave him another chance and he's made the most of it.
Tomlin relied on his curveball to keep the Blue Jays guessing.
"I needed to establish I could throw it for a strike early on, and then it was a pretty good pitch," he said.
Miller's slider buckled the Blue Jays and delighted his teammates.
"I don't even know how to say it," Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis said. "It's fun to watch. I've faced that before, which is not fun to watch."
POST(SEASON)POURRI: Indians RF Lonnie Chisenhall extended his postseason hitting streak to six games, equaling Jhonny Peralta's team record to begin a career. . Lindor has five RBIs in four playoff games. . Josh Donaldson's double in the third inning made him Toronto's playoff leader in the category for a season (six) and career (nine). ... The winning team in ALCS Game 2 has advanced to the World Series 24 times in the last 30 years. ... Teams holding a 2-0 series lead are 24-3 in the LCS under its present best-of-seven format.
MILLER TIME
Miller spent his first six big league seasons as a starter, but has no desire to do it again. "I think that ship has sailed, I had my chance," said Miller, who went 10-1 with a 1.45 ERA in 70 regular-season outings this season. "The bullpen is a lot of fun. I like coming to the ballpark every day knowing I have a chance to pitch."
CHEERLEADER
For the second time in the postseason, LeBron James and most of his Cavs teammates showed up to root on the Indians.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Blue Jays 2B Devon Travis is done for the postseason with a right knee injury he aggravated during Game 1. Toronto was granted a roster substitution by Major League Baseball and replaced Travis with 1B Justin Smoak. Travis would not be eligible for the World Series if the Blue Jays advance.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays: Stroman allowed one run in both regular-season starts - no decisions- against Cleveland, posting a 1.29 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 14 innings.
Indians: Bauer was 1-0 with a 1.38 ERA and 16 strikeouts in two outings against Toronto. Scheduled to start the following day, he came on in relief and pitched five scoreless innings in Cleveland's 2-1, 19-inning win July 1.
Montero's PH slam lifts Cubs over Dodgers 8-4 in NLCS opener
CHICAGO (AP) -- Miguel Montero delivered a memorable swing, Javier Baez stole home with his daring dash down the line and Jon Lester turned in another steady performance on the mound.
It all added up to another dramatic victory for the Chicago Cubs, who are off and running in the NL Championship Series.
Montero snapped an eighth-inning tie with the third pinch-hit grand slam in postseason history, and Chicago beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-4 in the opener Saturday night, moving the Cubs a step closer to their first pennant in 71 years.
"We hang in there," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "We don't give up."
Game 2 is Sunday night, with the Dodgers once again in need of a clutch performance from ace Clayton Kershaw. Major league ERA leader Kyle Hendricks pitches for the Cubs, chasing their first World Series title since 1908.
Lester pitched six effective innings, and Dexter Fowler homered after making two diving catches in center field - breaking his belt on the second grab. Left fielder Ben Zobrist threw out Adrian Gonzalez at the plate, helping Chicago to its first NLCS victory in 13 years.
The Cubs pulled out 14 of their major league-best 103 wins this season in their final at-bat. They added two more in the Division Series against playoff-tested San Francisco, including a four-run ninth in the clinching Game 4.
And now, this.
"We've kind of proved we can overcome adversity in the game," slugger Kris Bryant said.
Chicago was swept by the New York Mets in last year's NLCS. Lester & Co. are back again and already in better shape following a crazy eighth inning.
In the top half, Gonzalez tied it at 3 with a two-out, two-run single off Aroldis Chapman.
Zobrist hit a leadoff double in the bottom of the inning before pinch-hitter Chris Coghlan was intentionally walked with runners at first and second and two outs, bringing up Chapman's spot in the batting order.
"That was the right thing to do," Maddon said. "I probably would have done the same thing."
Maddon sent up Montero, who drove an 0-2 slider from loser Joe Blanton halfway up the right-field bleachers for his first hit of the playoffs.
"I trust Joe. I've trusted him all year long. He's been great for us," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "Left a pitch up. ... It just didn't work out."
The crowd of 42,376 at Wrigley Field roared as Montero rounded the bases and kept cheering until the veteran catcher popped out of the dugout for a curtain call.
"I never even thought I was going to hit at that point," Montero said. "To be honest, I thought Maddon put me out there just to bring the lefty and get (Willson) Contreras to pinch-hit for me, and they didn't bring the lefty for Contreras."
Fowler homered on the next pitch as the Cubs rebounded quickly from a shaky bullpen performance. Hector Rondon allowed Andrew Toles' RBI double in the ninth before Chase Utley lined into a game-ending double play.
Chapman retired Yasmani Grandal on an inning-ending groundout in the eighth and was credited with the win.
"We'll be ready tomorrow," Gonzalez said. "This game gave us a lot of confidence. We know we can beat them."
Lester and Baez helped Chicago to a 3-1 lead after seven. But the Dodgers rallied in the eighth, prompting Maddon to go to Chapman with the bases loaded and no outs.
The lefty struck out Corey Seager and Yasiel Puig before Gonzalez lined a 102 mph fastball back up the middle. A pumped-up Gonzalez celebrated at first base after delivering Los Angeles' first hit in 12 at-bats with the bases loaded in these playoffs.
But everything changed in the bottom half, leaving both managers to answer for several difficult decisions. Lester was replaced by a pinch hitter after just 77 pitches, and the intentional walk to Coghlan put the go-ahead run at third.
"A lot of that stuff was preplanned," Maddon said. "You look for situations. You're looking for the right matchups. But you don't know what he's going to do. ... You have to be able to react."
Andre Ethier had a pinch-hit homer for Los Angeles, helped by a strong wind going out to left and left-center on a warm night at Wrigley Field. Kenta Maeda lasted just four innings in his fourth straight shaky outing dating to the regular season.
The last time Kershaw was on the mound, he got two outs for the save in Los Angeles' clinching Game 5 win at Washington on Thursday night. The taxing final victory over the Nationals left Roberts with few options for the NLCS opener, and the Cubs jumped on Maeda for three runs in the first two innings.
"There were a lot of pitches I left over the plate that they took advantage of," Maeda said through a translator.
Bryant drove in Fowler with an RBI double in the first. Baez, one of the breakout stars of this year's postseason, added his own run-scoring double in the second, on a blooper into center over a drawn-in infield.
Baez was on third with one out when he initially broke for the plate with Lester squaring to bunt. Lester didn't get the bunt down, and catcher Carlos Ruiz threw to third baseman Justin Turner. Baez hesitated, then kept going toward the plate. He slid in safely before Ruiz could get the tag on him.
Baez became the second player to steal home for the Cubs in a postseason game, joining Jimmy Slagle in Game 4 of the 1907 World Series, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
"It was a safety squeeze. I went a little too early and I saw I couldn't get back," Baez said. "This is the big leagues and a rundown is too easy, so I kept going."
HISTORIC SLAM
Montero's drive was the first go-ahead grand slam by a pinch hitter in postseason history. Mark Lewis and Ricky Ledee were the other pinch hitters to sock a playoff grand slam. Lewis connected for the Cincinnati Reds in a 1995 Division Series against the Dodgers. Ledee went deep for the New York Yankees in the 1999 ALCS vs. Boston.
UP NEXT
Dodgers: Kershaw pitched in all three Dodgers wins during the Division Series. The three-time Cy Young Award winner is 3-6 with a 4.79 ERA in 16 playoff appearances, including 12 starts.
Cubs: Hendricks, who went 16-8 with a 2.13 ERA this season, makes his fourth career playoff start. He left his Division Series start against San Francisco after taking a line drive off his right forearm.
It all added up to another dramatic victory for the Chicago Cubs, who are off and running in the NL Championship Series.
Montero snapped an eighth-inning tie with the third pinch-hit grand slam in postseason history, and Chicago beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-4 in the opener Saturday night, moving the Cubs a step closer to their first pennant in 71 years.
"We hang in there," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "We don't give up."
Game 2 is Sunday night, with the Dodgers once again in need of a clutch performance from ace Clayton Kershaw. Major league ERA leader Kyle Hendricks pitches for the Cubs, chasing their first World Series title since 1908.
Lester pitched six effective innings, and Dexter Fowler homered after making two diving catches in center field - breaking his belt on the second grab. Left fielder Ben Zobrist threw out Adrian Gonzalez at the plate, helping Chicago to its first NLCS victory in 13 years.
The Cubs pulled out 14 of their major league-best 103 wins this season in their final at-bat. They added two more in the Division Series against playoff-tested San Francisco, including a four-run ninth in the clinching Game 4.
And now, this.
"We've kind of proved we can overcome adversity in the game," slugger Kris Bryant said.
Chicago was swept by the New York Mets in last year's NLCS. Lester & Co. are back again and already in better shape following a crazy eighth inning.
In the top half, Gonzalez tied it at 3 with a two-out, two-run single off Aroldis Chapman.
Zobrist hit a leadoff double in the bottom of the inning before pinch-hitter Chris Coghlan was intentionally walked with runners at first and second and two outs, bringing up Chapman's spot in the batting order.
"That was the right thing to do," Maddon said. "I probably would have done the same thing."
Maddon sent up Montero, who drove an 0-2 slider from loser Joe Blanton halfway up the right-field bleachers for his first hit of the playoffs.
"I trust Joe. I've trusted him all year long. He's been great for us," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "Left a pitch up. ... It just didn't work out."
The crowd of 42,376 at Wrigley Field roared as Montero rounded the bases and kept cheering until the veteran catcher popped out of the dugout for a curtain call.
"I never even thought I was going to hit at that point," Montero said. "To be honest, I thought Maddon put me out there just to bring the lefty and get (Willson) Contreras to pinch-hit for me, and they didn't bring the lefty for Contreras."
Fowler homered on the next pitch as the Cubs rebounded quickly from a shaky bullpen performance. Hector Rondon allowed Andrew Toles' RBI double in the ninth before Chase Utley lined into a game-ending double play.
Chapman retired Yasmani Grandal on an inning-ending groundout in the eighth and was credited with the win.
"We'll be ready tomorrow," Gonzalez said. "This game gave us a lot of confidence. We know we can beat them."
Lester and Baez helped Chicago to a 3-1 lead after seven. But the Dodgers rallied in the eighth, prompting Maddon to go to Chapman with the bases loaded and no outs.
The lefty struck out Corey Seager and Yasiel Puig before Gonzalez lined a 102 mph fastball back up the middle. A pumped-up Gonzalez celebrated at first base after delivering Los Angeles' first hit in 12 at-bats with the bases loaded in these playoffs.
But everything changed in the bottom half, leaving both managers to answer for several difficult decisions. Lester was replaced by a pinch hitter after just 77 pitches, and the intentional walk to Coghlan put the go-ahead run at third.
"A lot of that stuff was preplanned," Maddon said. "You look for situations. You're looking for the right matchups. But you don't know what he's going to do. ... You have to be able to react."
Andre Ethier had a pinch-hit homer for Los Angeles, helped by a strong wind going out to left and left-center on a warm night at Wrigley Field. Kenta Maeda lasted just four innings in his fourth straight shaky outing dating to the regular season.
The last time Kershaw was on the mound, he got two outs for the save in Los Angeles' clinching Game 5 win at Washington on Thursday night. The taxing final victory over the Nationals left Roberts with few options for the NLCS opener, and the Cubs jumped on Maeda for three runs in the first two innings.
"There were a lot of pitches I left over the plate that they took advantage of," Maeda said through a translator.
Bryant drove in Fowler with an RBI double in the first. Baez, one of the breakout stars of this year's postseason, added his own run-scoring double in the second, on a blooper into center over a drawn-in infield.
Baez was on third with one out when he initially broke for the plate with Lester squaring to bunt. Lester didn't get the bunt down, and catcher Carlos Ruiz threw to third baseman Justin Turner. Baez hesitated, then kept going toward the plate. He slid in safely before Ruiz could get the tag on him.
Baez became the second player to steal home for the Cubs in a postseason game, joining Jimmy Slagle in Game 4 of the 1907 World Series, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
"It was a safety squeeze. I went a little too early and I saw I couldn't get back," Baez said. "This is the big leagues and a rundown is too easy, so I kept going."
HISTORIC SLAM
Montero's drive was the first go-ahead grand slam by a pinch hitter in postseason history. Mark Lewis and Ricky Ledee were the other pinch hitters to sock a playoff grand slam. Lewis connected for the Cincinnati Reds in a 1995 Division Series against the Dodgers. Ledee went deep for the New York Yankees in the 1999 ALCS vs. Boston.
UP NEXT
Dodgers: Kershaw pitched in all three Dodgers wins during the Division Series. The three-time Cy Young Award winner is 3-6 with a 4.79 ERA in 16 playoff appearances, including 12 starts.
Cubs: Hendricks, who went 16-8 with a 2.13 ERA this season, makes his fourth career playoff start. He left his Division Series start against San Francisco after taking a line drive off his right forearm.
Saturday, October 15, 2016
Blue Jays 2B Travis to undergo MRI on knee after ALCS injury
CLEVELAND (AP) — Losing the opener might not be Toronto's only setback early in the AL Championship Series.
Blue Jays second baseman Devon Travis aggravated an injury in his right knee during a 2-0 loss to the Cleveland Indians on Friday night and afterward sounded pessimistic about his chances of returning in the series.
"It hurts pretty bad," Travis said. "I felt good going into the game. I covered first on that bunt and jarred my knee a little bit. I felt a super sharp pain in my knee and it felt like it was going to give out a little bit."
Travis is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Saturday before Game 2 and the Blue Jays are hoping for good results. Toronto manager John Gibbons didn't want to guess whether Travis would be available for the remainder of the series.
"They're still checking him out," Gibbons said. "He felt good going into the game. He planted and felt a sharp pain in his knee, and he wasn't able to continue. That's where we're at right now. What happens (next), I couldn't tell you."
The 25-year-old Travis missed two games in the Division Series against Texas after sustaining a bone bruise in his right knee. He batted .300 with 11 homers and 50 RBIs in 101 games during the regular season.
If he's ruled out, the Blue Jays can't replace him on the 25-man roster for the rest of the ALCS because it's a pre-existing injury.
In the fifth, Coco Crisp dropped a bunt down the first base line that was fielded by Edwin Encarnacion. He threw to Travis, who caught the ball and then began walking in obvious pain. He was replaced by Ryan Goins, who was lifted for pinch-hitter Darwin Barney in the seventh.
Goins played in 77 games this year, batting .186 with 12 RBIs. He was added to the ALCS roster because of Toronto's concerns about Travis' knee.
Blue Jays second baseman Devon Travis aggravated an injury in his right knee during a 2-0 loss to the Cleveland Indians on Friday night and afterward sounded pessimistic about his chances of returning in the series.
"It hurts pretty bad," Travis said. "I felt good going into the game. I covered first on that bunt and jarred my knee a little bit. I felt a super sharp pain in my knee and it felt like it was going to give out a little bit."
Travis is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Saturday before Game 2 and the Blue Jays are hoping for good results. Toronto manager John Gibbons didn't want to guess whether Travis would be available for the remainder of the series.
"They're still checking him out," Gibbons said. "He felt good going into the game. He planted and felt a sharp pain in his knee, and he wasn't able to continue. That's where we're at right now. What happens (next), I couldn't tell you."
The 25-year-old Travis missed two games in the Division Series against Texas after sustaining a bone bruise in his right knee. He batted .300 with 11 homers and 50 RBIs in 101 games during the regular season.
If he's ruled out, the Blue Jays can't replace him on the 25-man roster for the rest of the ALCS because it's a pre-existing injury.
In the fifth, Coco Crisp dropped a bunt down the first base line that was fielded by Edwin Encarnacion. He threw to Travis, who caught the ball and then began walking in obvious pain. He was replaced by Ryan Goins, who was lifted for pinch-hitter Darwin Barney in the seventh.
Goins played in 77 games this year, batting .186 with 12 RBIs. He was added to the ALCS roster because of Toronto's concerns about Travis' knee.
Lindor homers as Indians race past Jays 2-0 in ALCS opener
CLEVELAND (AP) — When the ball disappeared over the outfield wall, Francisco Lindor raised his right fist and took off.
Smiling with every stride, Cleveland's superstar-in-the-making shortstop sprinted around the bases like he was being chased.
He and the Indians aren't slowing down for anything this October.
Lindor hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning and Corey Kluber silenced Toronto's booming bats, giving the Indians a 2-0 win over the Blue Jays in Game 1 of the AL Championship Series on Friday night.
Lindor connected on an 0-2 changeup from Marco Estrada and tore around the basepaths as the bend-but-don't-break Indians won their fourth straight playoff game in this most unexpected season.
"I believe in my team. I believe in what we have," said Lindor, the talented 22-year-old who plays as if he's been part of postseason games for a decade. "We're just trying to do our thing."
Kluber, Cleveland's solid and stoic ace, pitched 6 1/3 spotless innings before manager Terry Francona turned things over to the Indians' best weapon — their bullpen. Andrew Miller made the Blue Jays look silly , striking out five of the six batters he faced, and closer Cody Allen got the save with a perfect ninth as the Indians extended their longest postseason winning streak since 1920.
The Blue Jays wasted some early scoring chances — they had six runners in the first three innings — against Kluber and their frustration only grew as the night went on. Toronto slugger Jose Bautista struck out three times and Edwin Encarnacion lost his cool when he was fanned in the eighth, jawing at plate umpire Laz Diaz.
"It wasn't like we faced the average Joe out there," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said of Kluber. "He's one of the elite pitchers in the game, as is Miller, as is Allen. We got some guys on base early. We couldn't get that big hit."
After getting their first ALCS win since 2007, the Indians will try to take a 2-0 lead Saturday with Josh Tomlin facing Toronto's 20-game winner, J.A. Happ. Tomlin was originally scheduled to start Game 3, but was moved up when Trevor Bauer sustained an odd injury as he sliced open his right pinkie while repairing a drone.
Kluber kept flying in the postseason.
The right-hander has not allowed a run in 13 1/3 innings this October and he kept the Blue Jays inside Progressive Field after they teed off against the Texas Rangers in the Division Series.
Estrada carried a four-hit shutout into the sixth before walking Jason Kipnis with one out. Lindor was in an 0-2 hole before the shortstop, who could become a household name before this series ends, drove his homer over the wall in right-center and ran like Usain Bolt wearing a Chief Wahoo cap.
"I thought (Kevin) Pillar was going to catch it," Lindor said. "As soon as it went out, I put my hands out. I looked at the dugout and everybody was going insane."
Estrada allowed six hits in Toronto's first complete game all year, but made one costly mistake.
"I was trying to bounce it, to be honest with you," Estrada said. "Good hitters are going to hit it out and he's a good hitter."
Kluber dodged some early trouble and held the Blue Jays, who hit eight home runs and scored 22 times in their ALDS sweep of Texas, to six hits in the first six innings. The Indians needed every out they could get from Kluber, who shut out Boston for seven innings in his postseason debut 10 days after he injured a quadriceps in a start against Detroit.
The 2014 AL Cy Young Award winner, who will certainly get votes this season after winning 18 games, has been the only dependable starter all season for Cleveland, which lost Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar to injuries in September and is now dealing with Bauer's bizarre mishap.
"I laughed when I heard," Kipnis said. "I don't care, as long as he can pitch for us. It's not as funny if he can't pitch. If he can, (I'll tell him), 'You're an idiot, but go get some outs for us now.'"
ODDS AND ENDS
Kluber became the fifth pitcher to throw at least six scoreless innings in his first two postseason starts. The others were Hall of Famer Christy Mathewson (1905), Joe Niekro (1980-1981), Dave Righetti (1981) and Steve Avery (1991). . Indians 3B Lonnie Chisenhall went 3 for 3 and owns a franchise-best .529 batting average in five career playoff games. . Cleveland OF Coco Crisp equaled the LCS record with two sacrifice bunts. . Toronto's only other postseason complete game was by Jack Morris in the opener of the 1992 ALCS.
COMEBACK KID
Blue Jays lefty Francisco Liriano will be eligible to pitch Saturday after recovering from a concussion sustained in the ALDS when he was struck in the head by a line drive. Toronto played with a 24-man roster in the opener as Liriano remained in baseball's seven-day concussion protocol. As a result, RHP Marcus Stroman — Toronto's projected starter in Game 3 — was available in relief for Game 1.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Travis will have an MRI on Saturday after re-injuring his right knee when covering first base in the fifth. He sat out the final two games of the Division Series with a bone bruise and is worried it's worse.
"It hurts pretty bad," he said. "I jarred my knee a little bit. I felt a sharp pain in my knee."
UP NEXT
Blue Jays: Happ struck out 11 and allowed one run over seven innings in beating the Indians on July 3. He was second in the AL in wins, going 20-4 with a 3.18 ERA. Happ picked up the victory in Game 2 of the ALDS against Texas, allowing one run in five innings.
Indians: Tomlin gave up three homers — to Martin, Melvin Upton Jr. and Encarnacion — in a loss to the Blue Jays on Aug. 20. Tomlin went 0-5 in August, but has bounced back and given up seven earned runs in 31 2/3 innings over his last six appearances.
Smiling with every stride, Cleveland's superstar-in-the-making shortstop sprinted around the bases like he was being chased.
He and the Indians aren't slowing down for anything this October.
Lindor hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning and Corey Kluber silenced Toronto's booming bats, giving the Indians a 2-0 win over the Blue Jays in Game 1 of the AL Championship Series on Friday night.
Lindor connected on an 0-2 changeup from Marco Estrada and tore around the basepaths as the bend-but-don't-break Indians won their fourth straight playoff game in this most unexpected season.
"I believe in my team. I believe in what we have," said Lindor, the talented 22-year-old who plays as if he's been part of postseason games for a decade. "We're just trying to do our thing."
Kluber, Cleveland's solid and stoic ace, pitched 6 1/3 spotless innings before manager Terry Francona turned things over to the Indians' best weapon — their bullpen. Andrew Miller made the Blue Jays look silly , striking out five of the six batters he faced, and closer Cody Allen got the save with a perfect ninth as the Indians extended their longest postseason winning streak since 1920.
The Blue Jays wasted some early scoring chances — they had six runners in the first three innings — against Kluber and their frustration only grew as the night went on. Toronto slugger Jose Bautista struck out three times and Edwin Encarnacion lost his cool when he was fanned in the eighth, jawing at plate umpire Laz Diaz.
"It wasn't like we faced the average Joe out there," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said of Kluber. "He's one of the elite pitchers in the game, as is Miller, as is Allen. We got some guys on base early. We couldn't get that big hit."
After getting their first ALCS win since 2007, the Indians will try to take a 2-0 lead Saturday with Josh Tomlin facing Toronto's 20-game winner, J.A. Happ. Tomlin was originally scheduled to start Game 3, but was moved up when Trevor Bauer sustained an odd injury as he sliced open his right pinkie while repairing a drone.
Kluber kept flying in the postseason.
The right-hander has not allowed a run in 13 1/3 innings this October and he kept the Blue Jays inside Progressive Field after they teed off against the Texas Rangers in the Division Series.
Estrada carried a four-hit shutout into the sixth before walking Jason Kipnis with one out. Lindor was in an 0-2 hole before the shortstop, who could become a household name before this series ends, drove his homer over the wall in right-center and ran like Usain Bolt wearing a Chief Wahoo cap.
"I thought (Kevin) Pillar was going to catch it," Lindor said. "As soon as it went out, I put my hands out. I looked at the dugout and everybody was going insane."
Estrada allowed six hits in Toronto's first complete game all year, but made one costly mistake.
"I was trying to bounce it, to be honest with you," Estrada said. "Good hitters are going to hit it out and he's a good hitter."
Kluber dodged some early trouble and held the Blue Jays, who hit eight home runs and scored 22 times in their ALDS sweep of Texas, to six hits in the first six innings. The Indians needed every out they could get from Kluber, who shut out Boston for seven innings in his postseason debut 10 days after he injured a quadriceps in a start against Detroit.
The 2014 AL Cy Young Award winner, who will certainly get votes this season after winning 18 games, has been the only dependable starter all season for Cleveland, which lost Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar to injuries in September and is now dealing with Bauer's bizarre mishap.
"I laughed when I heard," Kipnis said. "I don't care, as long as he can pitch for us. It's not as funny if he can't pitch. If he can, (I'll tell him), 'You're an idiot, but go get some outs for us now.'"
ODDS AND ENDS
Kluber became the fifth pitcher to throw at least six scoreless innings in his first two postseason starts. The others were Hall of Famer Christy Mathewson (1905), Joe Niekro (1980-1981), Dave Righetti (1981) and Steve Avery (1991). . Indians 3B Lonnie Chisenhall went 3 for 3 and owns a franchise-best .529 batting average in five career playoff games. . Cleveland OF Coco Crisp equaled the LCS record with two sacrifice bunts. . Toronto's only other postseason complete game was by Jack Morris in the opener of the 1992 ALCS.
COMEBACK KID
Blue Jays lefty Francisco Liriano will be eligible to pitch Saturday after recovering from a concussion sustained in the ALDS when he was struck in the head by a line drive. Toronto played with a 24-man roster in the opener as Liriano remained in baseball's seven-day concussion protocol. As a result, RHP Marcus Stroman — Toronto's projected starter in Game 3 — was available in relief for Game 1.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Travis will have an MRI on Saturday after re-injuring his right knee when covering first base in the fifth. He sat out the final two games of the Division Series with a bone bruise and is worried it's worse.
"It hurts pretty bad," he said. "I jarred my knee a little bit. I felt a sharp pain in my knee."
UP NEXT
Blue Jays: Happ struck out 11 and allowed one run over seven innings in beating the Indians on July 3. He was second in the AL in wins, going 20-4 with a 3.18 ERA. Happ picked up the victory in Game 2 of the ALDS against Texas, allowing one run in five innings.
Indians: Tomlin gave up three homers — to Martin, Melvin Upton Jr. and Encarnacion — in a loss to the Blue Jays on Aug. 20. Tomlin went 0-5 in August, but has bounced back and given up seven earned runs in 31 2/3 innings over his last six appearances.
Friday, October 14, 2016
Umpires for 2016 League Championship Series announced
Major League Baseball today announced the umpires who have been assigned to the 2016 League Championship Series. The LCS crew chiefs will be Brian Gorman, who will work the American League Championship Series, and Gary Cederstrom, who will be on the field for the National League Championship Series.
The 2016 ALCS will mark the 20th career Postseason assignment for Gorman, including the sixth LCS for the 25th-year Major League Umpire. Gorman will lead a crew that includes Laz Diaz, Mike Everitt, regular season crew chief Jeff Nelson, Jim Reynolds and Jim Wolf in Games One and Two. Everitt, Nelson and Wolf worked the NL Wild Card Game this Postseason. Major League Umpire Mark Wegner will be the Replay Official for ALCS Games One and Two and will be assisted by fellow Umpire Tripp Gibson. Beginning with Game Three, Wegner will join the on-field crew and Diaz will become the Replay Official, assisted by Gibson. The ALCS, which begins tonight on TBS, will feature the Cleveland Indians and the Toronto Blue Jays.
Cederstrom, a 23-year Major League Umpire, was the home plate umpire and crew chief for the AL Wild Card Game this Postseason. The 2016 NLCS will be the 19thcareer Postseason assignment for the North Dakota native. His crew is comprised by regular season crew chief Ted Barrett, Eric Cooper, Angel Hernandez, Alfonso Marquez and Paul Nauert in Games One and Two. Barrett, Cooper and Bill Welke, who will serve as the Replay Official for NLCS Games One and Two, worked this year's AL Wild Card Game with Cederstrom. Welke will be assisted by Gibson at Replay and, starting with Game Three, will become a part of the on-field crew, while Nauert will shift to Replay duties, assisted by Gibson. The NLCS, which is set to start tomorrow night on FS1, will have the Chicago Cubs meet the Los Angeles Dodgers.
A listing of the rotations assigned to the LCS accompanies this press release.
All ALCS and World Series games will be available live to MLB.TV subscribers who also are authenticated subscribers to the applicable network through a participating pay TV provider. ESPN Radio will provide live national coverage of all 2016 MLB Postseason games. The 2016 Postseason schedule can be accessed at MLB.com/postseason or via the MLB.com At Bat mobile app.
2016 LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES UMPIRE ASSIGNMENTS
American League Championship Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and the host Cleveland Indians on TBS:
Game 1 | Umpire | Previous Career Postseason Assignments
HP | Laz Diaz | 5 DS; 2 LCS; 1 WS
1B | Jim Wolf | 1 WC; 4 DS; 1 LCS; 1 WS
2B | Brian Gorman* | 1 WC; 10 DS; 5 LCS; 3 WS
3B | Jim Reynolds | 1 WC; 6 DS; 2 LCS; 1 WS
LF | Mike Everitt | 2 WC; 8 DS; 5 LCS; 3 WS
RF | Jeff Nelson^ | 3 WC; 6 DS; 6 LCS; 3 WS
Replay | Mark Wegner | 2 WC; 7 DS; 3 LCS; 1 WS
Replay Official:
ALCS: Mark Wegner in Games 1-2; Laz Diaz in Games 3-7
National League Championship Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the host Chicago Cubs on FS1:
Game 1 | Umpire | Previous Career Postseason Assignments
HP | Paul Nauert | 6 DS
1B | Eric Cooper | 2 WC; 9 DS; 2 LCS; 1 WS
2B | Gary Cederstrom* | 2 WC; 7 DS; 6 LCS; 3 WS
3B | Angel Hernandez | 8 DS; 6 LCS; 2 WS
LF | Alfonso Marquez | 7 DS; 3 LCS; 3 WS
RF | Ted Barrett^ | 4 WC; 8 DS; 6 LCS; 3 WS
Replay | Bill Welke | 2 WC; 4 DS; 1 LCS; 1 WS
Replay Official:
NLCS: Bill Welke in Games 1-2; Paul Nauert in Games 3-7
Replay Assistant for Both LCS:
Tripp Gibson
The 2016 ALCS will mark the 20th career Postseason assignment for Gorman, including the sixth LCS for the 25th-year Major League Umpire. Gorman will lead a crew that includes Laz Diaz, Mike Everitt, regular season crew chief Jeff Nelson, Jim Reynolds and Jim Wolf in Games One and Two. Everitt, Nelson and Wolf worked the NL Wild Card Game this Postseason. Major League Umpire Mark Wegner will be the Replay Official for ALCS Games One and Two and will be assisted by fellow Umpire Tripp Gibson. Beginning with Game Three, Wegner will join the on-field crew and Diaz will become the Replay Official, assisted by Gibson. The ALCS, which begins tonight on TBS, will feature the Cleveland Indians and the Toronto Blue Jays.
Cederstrom, a 23-year Major League Umpire, was the home plate umpire and crew chief for the AL Wild Card Game this Postseason. The 2016 NLCS will be the 19thcareer Postseason assignment for the North Dakota native. His crew is comprised by regular season crew chief Ted Barrett, Eric Cooper, Angel Hernandez, Alfonso Marquez and Paul Nauert in Games One and Two. Barrett, Cooper and Bill Welke, who will serve as the Replay Official for NLCS Games One and Two, worked this year's AL Wild Card Game with Cederstrom. Welke will be assisted by Gibson at Replay and, starting with Game Three, will become a part of the on-field crew, while Nauert will shift to Replay duties, assisted by Gibson. The NLCS, which is set to start tomorrow night on FS1, will have the Chicago Cubs meet the Los Angeles Dodgers.
A listing of the rotations assigned to the LCS accompanies this press release.
All ALCS and World Series games will be available live to MLB.TV subscribers who also are authenticated subscribers to the applicable network through a participating pay TV provider. ESPN Radio will provide live national coverage of all 2016 MLB Postseason games. The 2016 Postseason schedule can be accessed at MLB.com/postseason or via the MLB.com At Bat mobile app.
2016 LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES UMPIRE ASSIGNMENTS
American League Championship Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and the host Cleveland Indians on TBS:
Game 1 | Umpire | Previous Career Postseason Assignments
HP | Laz Diaz | 5 DS; 2 LCS; 1 WS
1B | Jim Wolf | 1 WC; 4 DS; 1 LCS; 1 WS
2B | Brian Gorman* | 1 WC; 10 DS; 5 LCS; 3 WS
3B | Jim Reynolds | 1 WC; 6 DS; 2 LCS; 1 WS
LF | Mike Everitt | 2 WC; 8 DS; 5 LCS; 3 WS
RF | Jeff Nelson^ | 3 WC; 6 DS; 6 LCS; 3 WS
Replay | Mark Wegner | 2 WC; 7 DS; 3 LCS; 1 WS
Replay Official:
ALCS: Mark Wegner in Games 1-2; Laz Diaz in Games 3-7
National League Championship Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the host Chicago Cubs on FS1:
Game 1 | Umpire | Previous Career Postseason Assignments
HP | Paul Nauert | 6 DS
1B | Eric Cooper | 2 WC; 9 DS; 2 LCS; 1 WS
2B | Gary Cederstrom* | 2 WC; 7 DS; 6 LCS; 3 WS
3B | Angel Hernandez | 8 DS; 6 LCS; 2 WS
LF | Alfonso Marquez | 7 DS; 3 LCS; 3 WS
RF | Ted Barrett^ | 4 WC; 8 DS; 6 LCS; 3 WS
Replay | Bill Welke | 2 WC; 4 DS; 1 LCS; 1 WS
Replay Official:
NLCS: Bill Welke in Games 1-2; Paul Nauert in Games 3-7
Replay Assistant for Both LCS:
Tripp Gibson
Kershaw gets save, LA tops Nats 4-3 to win NLDS
WASHINGTON (AP) — A little past midnight in Game 5 of the NL Division Series, Clayton Kershaw emerged from the bullpen to pitch in relief for the first time in seven years.
Two outs later, the only save of his major league career in the books, Kershaw's arms were raised and teammates were rushing to celebrate with a guy whose postseason performances have never carried the luster of his regular-season success.
Coming in after closer Kenley Jansen entered in the seventh inning and threw a career-high 51 pitches but issued a pair of one-out walks in the ninth, Kershaw got Daniel Murphy to pop out, then struck out Wilmer Difo to end it. That finished the Los Angeles Dodgers' dramatic 4-3 victory over the Washington Nationals that decided their NL Division Series in the wee hours of Friday.
"The adrenaline rush was pretty good right there," said Kershaw, who approached Dodgers manager Dave Roberts in the seventh inning to offer to pitch if need be on the must-win occasion.
"At the at the end of the day, if we don't win that game, we're going home, anyway, so what does it matter?" Kershaw said. "I just wanted to be available, and it ended up to the point where I could help out tonight."
The Dodgers won the last two games of the best-of-five NLDS with Kershaw pitching in each and now head to the NL Championship Series to face the Chicago Cubs. That opens at Wrigley Field on Saturday night.
The Nationals, meanwhile, still have never won a postseason series, winning three NL East titles in the past five years but losing in the NLDS each time.
And while there's no way Kershaw will be available for Game 1 against Chicago, one thing's for sure: Whatever notion there might have been about the lefty's playoff problems — he was 2-6 in the postseason until this series, with an ERA nearly twice what he has in the regular season — is now a thing of the past.
"That (criticism) is ridiculous," Dodgers President Stan Kasten said, his dress shirt soaked with alcohol from the postgame festivities. "That's why I said to him, 'Dude, you're Mr. October.'"
Kershaw worked two days after throwing 110 pitches over 6 2/3 innings in Game 4, when he had the benefit of only three days' rest following his win in the opener against the Nationals.
"Nobody wants it more than him — his tireless work ethic and how much he competes. And just for him to go up and tell them, 'Hey, I can come in and close this thing out if you need me,' just says so much about the type of player he is," said Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner, whose two-run triple in the seventh helped LA build its lead. "He's a winner. He's a champion."
How unanticipated was this work as a reliever? Several hours before Thursday's game began, Dodgers first-year manager Dave Roberts was asked whether Kershaw might be available at all — maybe just for one out, say?
"No," came Roberts' reply. "Absolutely not."
Turned out the three-time NL Cy Young Award winner would get a pair of outs in his first relief appearance since the 2009 playoffs.
"Clayton came to me in the seventh," Roberts explained, "and said that he had an inning if I needed it."
Kershaw came in after Jansen got a career-high seven outs. Jansen walked Bryce Harper and Jayson Werth with one out in the ninth — and that's when Roberts went to Kershaw.
Kershaw wound up with his second pro save. His other came on Aug. 19, 2006, in the Gulf Coast League in a game against the Nationals' rookie club.
And Kershaw's catcher that day a decade ago?
Amazingly, none other than Jansen, who didn't begin pitching professionally until three years later.
Jansen said he couldn't recall that particular game. He assured everyone he'll never forget this one. When Kershaw walked from the dugout to the bullpen before removing his blue jacket to start warming up, he got fist bumps from teammates.
In the tunnel that leads from the dugout to the visiting clubhouse, Jansen looked up at a TV and saw Kershaw getting ready to pitch.
"I'm like, 'Wait a minute. Am I dreaming right now?' I couldn't believe it," Jansen said later, just socks on his feet and ski goggles on his head, leaning against a wall in a clubhouse hallway. "I'm like, 'Is Kersh warming up? Is he really out there?"
Sure was.
LA's scoring all came in a four-run seventh off six Nationals pitchers, including Joc Pederson's homer off Max Scherzer.
"It's the craziest game I've ever been a part of," said Scherzer, who took a no-hitter into the fifth. "We just didn't get it done. No one's a goat. No one made a crucial misplay. Everybody stepped up and did their game. We just didn't get that extra run."
Washington was leading 1-0 in the sixth, when Werth walked and Ryan Zimmerman smacked a two-out double to left. But third-base coach Bob Henley — whose propensity for waving runners home led to a popular T-shirt among Nationals players that says, "Send 'em short, send 'em tall, send 'em one, send 'em all" — sent Werth and saw him get thrown out easily on shortstop Corey Seager's relay.
Wasn't even close.
"You live and die by those moments, sometimes," Werth said.
And in the sort of blink-and-you-missed-it game-shifting sequence, Werth's inning-ending, overzealous bid to score was followed immediately by Pederson's homer on Scherzer's first — and, it turned out, only — pitch of the seventh.
That began a rally that included a pinch-hit RBI single by 37-year-old pinch hitter Carlos Ruiz, helping LA go up 4-1.
Then came pinch hitter Chris Heisey's two-run homer in the Washington seventh.
Then came Jansen in an inning that took 66 minutes and included a total of eight pitchers.
And then came Kershaw.
The West champion Dodgers are back in the NLCS for the first time since 2013, but they've lost in their past three trips to that round, failing to make it to the World Series since they won their most recent championship in 1988.
And Kershaw had a hand in all three NLDS wins.
"Looking him in the eye, I felt good about it, and the training staff gave the OK," Roberts said, "so it's only fitting for Clayton to get the last out right there."
MATCHUP
The Cubs were 4-3 against the Dodgers this year. The only other time they met in the postseason was the 2008 NLDS, which LA swept.
1-AND-DONE
The East champion Nationals are one-and-done in the playoffs yet again, losing in the NLDS yet again. Washington was beaten in five games in 2012 by St. Louis, and in four games in 2014 by San Francisco. Take it back further, and a baseball club based in the nation's capital hasn't won a postseason series since the old Senators were the 1924 World Series champions.
"I'm not ready to go home," Nationals first-year manager Dusty Baker said. "I haven't been home since February, but I would have gladly stayed a couple more weeks."
Marc Rzepczynski was the losing pitcher.
YOUNG URIAS
Dodgers LHP Julio Urias, who turned 20 in August, became the youngest pitcher to appear in the postseason since Cincinnati's Don Gullett was 19 in the 1970 World Series, the Dodgers said, citing STATS. Urias entered in the fifth and threw two scoreless innings and got the win. He walked Harper, then picked him off first base.
MAKE THE MOVE
Before this year, Roberts was best known in the postseason for his ninth-inning steal as a pinch-runner in Game of the 2004 ALCS that sparked Boston's comeback against the Yankees. He'll now also be remembered for his mound maneuvers that won this game — he used three members of his rotation, plus his closer in a career-long outing.
"These are conversations that me, the front office, we have daily, about just kind of forward-thinking, being open-minded to how you can use guys in certain roles. And today was a prime example," Roberts said.
Two outs later, the only save of his major league career in the books, Kershaw's arms were raised and teammates were rushing to celebrate with a guy whose postseason performances have never carried the luster of his regular-season success.
Coming in after closer Kenley Jansen entered in the seventh inning and threw a career-high 51 pitches but issued a pair of one-out walks in the ninth, Kershaw got Daniel Murphy to pop out, then struck out Wilmer Difo to end it. That finished the Los Angeles Dodgers' dramatic 4-3 victory over the Washington Nationals that decided their NL Division Series in the wee hours of Friday.
"The adrenaline rush was pretty good right there," said Kershaw, who approached Dodgers manager Dave Roberts in the seventh inning to offer to pitch if need be on the must-win occasion.
"At the at the end of the day, if we don't win that game, we're going home, anyway, so what does it matter?" Kershaw said. "I just wanted to be available, and it ended up to the point where I could help out tonight."
The Dodgers won the last two games of the best-of-five NLDS with Kershaw pitching in each and now head to the NL Championship Series to face the Chicago Cubs. That opens at Wrigley Field on Saturday night.
The Nationals, meanwhile, still have never won a postseason series, winning three NL East titles in the past five years but losing in the NLDS each time.
And while there's no way Kershaw will be available for Game 1 against Chicago, one thing's for sure: Whatever notion there might have been about the lefty's playoff problems — he was 2-6 in the postseason until this series, with an ERA nearly twice what he has in the regular season — is now a thing of the past.
"That (criticism) is ridiculous," Dodgers President Stan Kasten said, his dress shirt soaked with alcohol from the postgame festivities. "That's why I said to him, 'Dude, you're Mr. October.'"
Kershaw worked two days after throwing 110 pitches over 6 2/3 innings in Game 4, when he had the benefit of only three days' rest following his win in the opener against the Nationals.
"Nobody wants it more than him — his tireless work ethic and how much he competes. And just for him to go up and tell them, 'Hey, I can come in and close this thing out if you need me,' just says so much about the type of player he is," said Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner, whose two-run triple in the seventh helped LA build its lead. "He's a winner. He's a champion."
How unanticipated was this work as a reliever? Several hours before Thursday's game began, Dodgers first-year manager Dave Roberts was asked whether Kershaw might be available at all — maybe just for one out, say?
"No," came Roberts' reply. "Absolutely not."
Turned out the three-time NL Cy Young Award winner would get a pair of outs in his first relief appearance since the 2009 playoffs.
"Clayton came to me in the seventh," Roberts explained, "and said that he had an inning if I needed it."
Kershaw came in after Jansen got a career-high seven outs. Jansen walked Bryce Harper and Jayson Werth with one out in the ninth — and that's when Roberts went to Kershaw.
Kershaw wound up with his second pro save. His other came on Aug. 19, 2006, in the Gulf Coast League in a game against the Nationals' rookie club.
And Kershaw's catcher that day a decade ago?
Amazingly, none other than Jansen, who didn't begin pitching professionally until three years later.
Jansen said he couldn't recall that particular game. He assured everyone he'll never forget this one. When Kershaw walked from the dugout to the bullpen before removing his blue jacket to start warming up, he got fist bumps from teammates.
In the tunnel that leads from the dugout to the visiting clubhouse, Jansen looked up at a TV and saw Kershaw getting ready to pitch.
"I'm like, 'Wait a minute. Am I dreaming right now?' I couldn't believe it," Jansen said later, just socks on his feet and ski goggles on his head, leaning against a wall in a clubhouse hallway. "I'm like, 'Is Kersh warming up? Is he really out there?"
Sure was.
LA's scoring all came in a four-run seventh off six Nationals pitchers, including Joc Pederson's homer off Max Scherzer.
"It's the craziest game I've ever been a part of," said Scherzer, who took a no-hitter into the fifth. "We just didn't get it done. No one's a goat. No one made a crucial misplay. Everybody stepped up and did their game. We just didn't get that extra run."
Washington was leading 1-0 in the sixth, when Werth walked and Ryan Zimmerman smacked a two-out double to left. But third-base coach Bob Henley — whose propensity for waving runners home led to a popular T-shirt among Nationals players that says, "Send 'em short, send 'em tall, send 'em one, send 'em all" — sent Werth and saw him get thrown out easily on shortstop Corey Seager's relay.
Wasn't even close.
"You live and die by those moments, sometimes," Werth said.
And in the sort of blink-and-you-missed-it game-shifting sequence, Werth's inning-ending, overzealous bid to score was followed immediately by Pederson's homer on Scherzer's first — and, it turned out, only — pitch of the seventh.
That began a rally that included a pinch-hit RBI single by 37-year-old pinch hitter Carlos Ruiz, helping LA go up 4-1.
Then came pinch hitter Chris Heisey's two-run homer in the Washington seventh.
Then came Jansen in an inning that took 66 minutes and included a total of eight pitchers.
And then came Kershaw.
The West champion Dodgers are back in the NLCS for the first time since 2013, but they've lost in their past three trips to that round, failing to make it to the World Series since they won their most recent championship in 1988.
And Kershaw had a hand in all three NLDS wins.
"Looking him in the eye, I felt good about it, and the training staff gave the OK," Roberts said, "so it's only fitting for Clayton to get the last out right there."
MATCHUP
The Cubs were 4-3 against the Dodgers this year. The only other time they met in the postseason was the 2008 NLDS, which LA swept.
1-AND-DONE
The East champion Nationals are one-and-done in the playoffs yet again, losing in the NLDS yet again. Washington was beaten in five games in 2012 by St. Louis, and in four games in 2014 by San Francisco. Take it back further, and a baseball club based in the nation's capital hasn't won a postseason series since the old Senators were the 1924 World Series champions.
"I'm not ready to go home," Nationals first-year manager Dusty Baker said. "I haven't been home since February, but I would have gladly stayed a couple more weeks."
Marc Rzepczynski was the losing pitcher.
YOUNG URIAS
Dodgers LHP Julio Urias, who turned 20 in August, became the youngest pitcher to appear in the postseason since Cincinnati's Don Gullett was 19 in the 1970 World Series, the Dodgers said, citing STATS. Urias entered in the fifth and threw two scoreless innings and got the win. He walked Harper, then picked him off first base.
MAKE THE MOVE
Before this year, Roberts was best known in the postseason for his ninth-inning steal as a pinch-runner in Game of the 2004 ALCS that sparked Boston's comeback against the Yankees. He'll now also be remembered for his mound maneuvers that won this game — he used three members of his rotation, plus his closer in a career-long outing.
"These are conversations that me, the front office, we have daily, about just kind of forward-thinking, being open-minded to how you can use guys in certain roles. And today was a prime example," Roberts said.
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