Blue Jays bats go silent against Indians in ALCS

Toronto Blue Jays' Troy Tulowitzki, left, and Kevin
Pillar watch from the dugout after the Cleveland
Indians defeated the Blue Jays 3-0 in Game 5 of
the baseball American League Championship
Series in Toronto on Wednesday, Oct.
19, 2016. (Mark Blinch/The Canadian Press via AP)

via Associated Press.

TORONTO (AP) — Five games. Eight runs. Two shutout losses.

A power-laden Toronto Blue Jays lineup fizzled against Cleveland, finishing off a five-game AL Championship Series wipeout with a 3-0 loss Wednesday.

Bidding to return to the World Series for the first time since 1993, the Blue Jays lost in the ALCS for the second straight year, following last year's six-game defeat against eventual champion Kansas City. Toronto was held to six hits by rookie Ryan Merritt and three relievers in the Indians' second shutout of the ALCS.

"We never really had a big inning, never were able to really string some hits together and get a rally going," Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin said. "You can point the finger at us and say we didn't do a good job, or you can point the finger at those guys. To get us out, you have to pitch well. You have to, and they did."


No Cleveland pitcher was tougher than ALCS MVP Andrew Miller, who struck out 13 in 7 2/3 scoreless innings.

"It's not easy to go through lineups like this," Miller said. Still, the lefty sure made it look simple against the Blue Jays, who struck out 50 times over the five games.

An offense led by Jose Bautista, Josh Donaldson, Edwin Encarnacion and Troy Tulowitzki produced seven extra-base hits in the series — three doubles, two triples and two solo home runs. The Blue Jays hit just .201; Cleveland was even worse at .168.

"I'm sure there will be some disappointments and grumbling and complaining about how you fell short again, but that's not coming from me," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "I know what these guys did, and I think it's a pretty good accomplishment. The key is we want to take that next step one of these days. Hopefully it's next year."

Bautista , who turned 36 Wednesday, and the 33-year-old Encarnacion may have been playing for the Blue Jays for the final time. Both are eligible for free agency, a subject neither wanted to address in a somber clubhouse.

"I don't think it's the right time to be taking about that," Bautista said. "We just battled through a tough series. I don't want to make this about myself, and I don't really feel like I'm in the proper state of mind to be taking about that. I know it's a possibility but we'll see what happens."

Gibbons said his two sluggers "helped put this team back on the map" after Toronto went 22 years between postseason appearances.

"We were staring at a playoff drought for a lot of years around here," Gibbons said. "And they came through for the team last year, the organization, and then repeated it this year. And they really — both of them — made their name here in Toronto."

Toronto slugged past Baltimore in the wild card game, winning on Encarnacion's 11th-inning home run. The Blue Jays swept Texas in the Division Series, outhomering the Rangers 8-2 and outscoring them 22-10.

Bautista's two hits in the finale left him 3 for 18 (.167) with no RBIs in the series, while Encarnacion was 4 for 19 (.211) and drove in two runs. Tulowitzki was 2 for 18 (.111) with no RBIs and Donaldson 6 for 18 (.333) with two RBIs.

"I know that I'm capable of doing a lot more," Bautista said. "They pitched great. It was tough. They seemed to make the right pitches at the right time and got us out."

Martin, who chased Merritt with a one-out bloop single in the fifth and advanced on pinch-hitter Michael Saunders's hit, was Toronto's only runner to reach scoring position. Reliever Bryan Shaw fanned Ezequiel Carrera and Kevin Pillar.

Toronto's offensive funk was remarkable given the shaky state of Cleveland's starting pitching. Carlos Carrasco (broken hand) and Danny Salazar (forearm) have missed the entire postseason, and right-hander Trevor Bauer left Game 3 after four batters when blood began dripping from his right pinkie, sliced open last week while he repaired a drone.

The Blue Jays hit .120 (3 for 25) with runners in scoring position.

"They never let us string base hits together," Bautista said, "and when we had men in scoring position they seemed to turn it up a notch and go to another level of execution."

On Merritt: Indians go to World Series, top Toronto in ALCS

via Associated Press.

TORONTO (AP) — For the Cleveland Indians, the script was the same every game — hope for the best from whoever they started, then count on Andrew Miller and the bullpen to close it out.

That plan seemed especially dicey in Game 5 of the AL Championship Series, with lightly used Ryan Merritt on the mound.

But out of nowhere, the rookie delivered.

Merritt coolly kept the Indians ahead until reinforcements arrived, and Cleveland earned its first trip to the World Series since 1997 by blanking the Toronto Blue Jays 3-0 Wednesday.


The 24-year-old lefty defied expectations, shutting down the powerful Blue Jays before exiting in the fifth inning. Thanks to a most unlikely pitching performance, a most unexpected team won the ALCS 4-1.

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 Francona's team will try to augment what's already been a scintillating year in Cleveland after LeBron James and the Cavaliers earned the city's first major pro sports championship since 1964.

The Indians' title drought dates to 1948. In 1997, they let a one-run lead get away in the bottom of the ninth inning in Game 7 and lost to the Florida Marlins in the 11th.

"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 didn't 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 I've said the word 'special' a million times in the last 20 or 30 minutes. But it's the truth. It's 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 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 Cleveland's 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 Papi's 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.

"I'm sure there will be some disappointments and grumbling and complaining about how you fell short again, but that's not coming from me," manager John Gibbons said. "Because I know what these guys did, and I think it's a pretty good accomplishment. The key is we want to take that next step one of these days. Hopefully, it's next year."

Merritt — a Texas native drafted in the 16th round by Cleveland in 2011 — hadn't pitched in a game since his late September start, although he'd 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, I'm pretty sure he's 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."

After the game, Cleveland players chanted "boots" in the celebration, urging Merritt to pull cowboy boots from his locker and shake them.

Merritt struck out three batters in the first two innings — all looking — and didn't allow a baserunner until Josh Donaldson's one-out single in the fourth. After Russell Martin's 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 Miller's 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.

PRECEDENT

Merritt was the second pitcher to start a postseason game with only one previous regular-season start. Matt Moore of Tampa Bay did it in 2011 in Game 1 of the Division Series against Texas. Moore pitched seven scoreless innings that day.

CLEVELAND KIN

James posted video on his Instagram account of him and the Cavs watching the game's final out at a crowded Cleveland sports bar. James, Tristan Thompson, J.R. Smith and others were gathered around a table by the front door, with fans pouring out into the street to watch.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Indians: Francona said before the game that Bauer was supposed to have his lacerated right pinkie looked at 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 can't 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 NEXT

Indians: Cleveland returns home and rests up for the World Series.

Blue Jays: Toronto faces an uncertain offseason. Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and Michael Saunders are in the final year of their contracts.

Kershaw helps Dodgers blank Cubs 1-0, NLCS even at 1-all

via Jay Cohen/Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — So much for October closer. With his Dodgers desperate for a win, Clayton Kershaw delivered the best start of his checkered playoff career.

The ace left-hander pitched seven sparkling innings, Adrian Gonzalez homered and Los Angeles beat the Chicago Cubs 1-0 Sunday night to tie the NL Championship Series at a game apiece.

Kershaw retired his first 14 batters and allowed just two hits in first outing since he pitched three times in the NL Division Series, including a two-out save in Game 5 on Thursday night in Washington. The three-time NL Cy Young Award winner struck out six and walked one while throwing just 84 pitches in a brisk outing that could help when he returns later in the NLCS.

"It was one of those games where one pitch could have been the deciding factor," Kershaw said. "So, really just kind of couldn't look up for a minute for air and just kind of kept going through it and fortunate to get through it tonight."

Kenley Jansen then struck out four in two perfect innings for his third save of the playoffs. The teams combined for just five hits for the lowest total in a playoff game since the Cardinals and Pirates had four in Game 4 of their 2013 NL Division Series.

"I think that you couldn't have scripted it any better," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "And it was just another fun ballgame."

Roberts almost went to Jansen with a runner on first and two out in the seventh, but Kershaw argued successfully to stay in the game. Javier Baez then hit a drive to the warning track in deep center, but Joc Pederson was there for the catch.

"He hit it pretty good," Kershaw said. "And yeah, after Dave came out and that, I kind of talked my way into it. I really wanted to — he was probably not going to trust me again after that, but, fortunately, he hit it at somebody, so it was good."

Baez's drive was one of a precious few hard-hit balls for the Cubs. Kershaw was that good.

The Dodgers needed a clutch pitching performance after their heartbreaking 8-4 loss in the series opener. And Kershaw responded with a gem that continued his reputation repair after a handful of playoff duds over the years. He was just 3-6 with a 4.79 ERA in 16 career postseason games coming into this series.

"I feel like every start he has the chance to be great," catcher Yasmani Grandal said. "It's just unbelievable to see him pitch, it's unbelievable to see him compete."

Game 3 is Tuesday night in Los Angeles. Cubs right-hander Jake Arrieta, who pitched a no-hitter at Dodger Stadium last August, faces left-hander Rich Hill.

The Cubs lost a 1-0 game in the postseason for the first time since Babe Ruth and the Boston Red Sox blanked them in the 1918 World Series opener.

"Playoffs is always about pitching and defense," said Miguel Montero, the Game 1 star for the Cubs. "Tonight we played great defense as well and we couldn't score."

Chicago, trying for its first pennant in 71 years, wasted a solid start by major league ERA leader Kyle Hendricks, who pitched 5 1/3 innings of three-hit ball in his first outing since he left his Division Series start against San Francisco with a bruised right forearm.

Hendricks' only mistake was a second-inning fastball that Gonzalez drove over the wall in left-center for his second homer of the playoffs. Gonzalez also had a tying two-run single in the eighth inning of the series opener, but Montero's pinch-hit grand slam was the big blow in a dramatic win for Chicago.

A day later, the Cubs couldn't get anything going against Kershaw.

"He kept the ball off the fat part of our bat," manager Joe Maddon said. "He threw strikes like he normally does. So despite not having rest, his command and velocity were still good."

Slumping slugger Anthony Rizzo just missed a home run with a foul drive in the fourth, and then bounced out. Baez and Willson Contreras hit consecutive two-out singles in the fifth for Chicago's first baserunners, but Jason Heyward fouled out to third.

Nothing seemed to bother Kershaw on a muggy night at Wrigley Field. After Grandal dropped a foul popup in the seventh, Kershaw responded with a wry grin, and then struck out Ben Zobrist.

"I honestly thought with him pitching with a couple of days' rest, he wasn't going to be that nasty," Baez said, "but obviously he came ready for us and he just did his job."

Jansen backed Kershaw with flawless relief. The big right-hander struck out Dexter Fowler and Kris Bryant before Rizzo lined meekly to second for the final out.

ABOUT GONZALEZ

Gonzalez became the seventh player in major league history to homer in at least six consecutive playoff series, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. It was the third go-ahead homer of his postseason career.

WHAT A RELIEF

While the Cubs struggled against Jansen and Kershaw, Hendricks and their bullpen gave them a chance. Carl Edwards Jr., Mike Montgomery, Pedro Strop and Aroldis Chapman combined for 3 2/3 innings of hitless relief.

Josh Reddick got Los Angeles' last hit of the night in the sixth, putting runners on first and second. Edwards then came in and got Pederson to hit a soft liner to second that Baez let drop before starting a heady inning-ending double play .

UP NEXT

The Cubs and Dodgers work out in Los Angeles on Monday, and then Arrieta and Hill return to the mound for the first time since the Division Series. Arrieta made one start against Los Angeles this season, pitching seven scoreless innings in a no-decision at Wrigley on May 31. Hill, a fourth-round draft pick by the Cubs in 2002, has made one appearance against his first major league team, recording two outs in relief for Boston on May 21, 2011.

Blue Jays League Championship Series roster substitution approved

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.

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.

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.

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.