BOSTON — So much for being counted out. So much for the Indians losing too many key players to contend in the postseason. So much for it being a short October.
The Indians took down the Boston Red Sox, 4-3, on Monday night at Fenway Park, completing a three-game sweep to advance to the American League Championship Series. The Indians will face the Toronto Blue Jays for the right to go to the World Series. Game 1 of the ALCS is Friday at Progressive Field.
Coco Crisp, acquired on Aug. 31, only a day before the deadline to be added onto the postseason roster, came away with arguably the biggest hit for the Indians this October thus far. With the Indians holding onto a 2-1 lead in the top of the sixth inning, Crisp, a former Red Sox outfielder, drilled a two-run home run off former Indians pitcher Drew Pomeranz over The Green Monster to extend the Indians’ lead to 4-1. That hit proved to be the one that put the Red Sox away for good.
The Indians needed all three healthy starting pitchers to at least hold baseball’s best offense at bay. After Trevor Bauer and Corey Kluber did their jobs in Games 1 and 2, respectively, Josh Tomlin followed suit, holding the Red Sox and their vaunted lineup to two earned runs on four hits in five innings to go with four strikeouts.
As Tomlin cruised for the first few innings, the Indians took a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth against Game 3 starting pitcher Clay Buchholz. Jose Ramirez opened the inning with a single. Chisenhall followed with a walk, and both advanced on Crisp’s sacrifice bunt. That led to rookie outfielder Tyler Naquin, whose first career postseason hit turned out to be a two-RBI single to right field.
It wasn’t until the fifth that the Red Sox found some offensive momentum against Tomlin. Xander Bogaerts singled and then scored on Andrew Benintendi’s double off the wall in left field to make it 2-1. Francisco Lindor’s relay throw home nearly nailed Bogaerts at the plate but was a split-second too late.
Tomlin allowed a single to Dustin Pedroia to begin the sixth, prompting Indians manager Terry Francona to go to Andrew Miller.
Miller struck out Aaron Hill but then gave up a double off The Green Monster to Mookie Betts, putting runners on second and third. David Ortiz, in the final game of his illustrious baseball career, lined a ball to center field that was caught by Rajai Davis but deep enough to score Pedroia and make it 4-2.
Miller went on to finish the sixth and get through the seventh without further incident. Bryan Shaw entered in the eighth, striking out Pedroia and then allowing a single to Travis Shaw and brought the tying run up to the plate. Betts drilled a ball to Ramirez, who made a diving play to his right to field it and throw to second for the second out of the inning.
That brought in Cody Allen, who walked David Ortiz in his final at-bat to bring the go-ahead run to the plate. Hanley Ramirez lined a single just past a diving Francisco Lindor for an RBI-single to left field, making it a 4-3 game. Bogaerts followed by sending a rocket of a line drive up the middle, but it was right at second baseman Jason Kipnis to end the eighth inning.
Allen retired the first two batters in the ninth before running into trouble. He allowed a single to Jackie Bradley Jr. and then walked Pedroia, putting the game-winning run on first with two outs.
On Allen’s 40th pitch, he finally induced Shaw to pop out to Chisenhall in right field, ending the game and sending the Indians into their first postseason celebration since 2007.
