(Image: mlb.com)
The race for the Pennant just got even more real! The Cleveland Indians hosted the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series on Friday night and stayed unbeaten in October as they took the 2-0 win.
Cleveland Indians’ RHP Corey Kluber had a bit of a rough start through the first three innings but kept the Jays from getting any runs on the board. Kluber went 6.1 shutout innings while allowing six hits and two walks; striking out six batters.
Kluber is now just the second pitcher in the last twenty-five eyars to throw at least six scoreless innings in his first two career post-season starts, the first was Matt Cain who did it for the San Francisco Giants in 2010.
Kluber was replaced by All-Star closer Andrew Miller who was a mid-season acquisition for the Indians when he came over from the New York Yankees. Miller struck out two Jays to end the seventh inning and then allowed a leadoff single by Josh Donaldson to start the eighth but was able to strike out the side to avoid any trouble. The thirty-one year old hasn’t allowed a run in 13 innings of post-season work in his career.
Cleveland broke the scoreless streak in the bottom of the sixth with a two-run homer by 22-year-old Francisco Lindor on a fly ball to right center field to give the Indians the two necessary runs they would need to secure the 2-0 win.
As for the Toronto Blue Jays’ starter RHP Marco Estrada his only hiccup was the Lindor homerun in his eight innings of work, allowing six hits and two runs; striking out six.
Up Next: The Cleveland Indians will host the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 2 of the ALCS on Saturday afternoon at 4:00pm. LHP J.A. Happ will make the start for the Jays as RHP Josh Tomlin who was due to start Game 3 for Cleveland, was now moved up to Saturday after Trevor Bauer suffered a cut to his pinky finger after a drone accident.
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