Mike Napoli, Jason Kipnis homer, Indians take 3-0 ALCS lead over Blue Jays
TORONTO -- Breaking down Game 3 of the American League Championship Series between the Indians and Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.
Indians 4, Blue Jays 2, Indians lead series, 3-0.
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The final: Jason Kipnis’s 405-foot home run broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the sixth inning and the Cleveland bullpen patched together the final 25 outs to push the Indians to the brink of the American League pennant.
With starter Trevor Bauer unable to make it through the first inning with a lacerated pinkie finger, the formula Cleveland used to win the first two games of the series had to be turned upside down.
The Blue Jays were able to generate a little more offense than they did in Cleveland -- Michael Saunders homered in the second and Ezequiel Carrera tripled and scored in the fifth – but it wasn’t enough as Toronto is now in danger of being eliminated in the ALCS for the second consecutive season.
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Man of the moment: If the Indians’ ALCS party ends up being at Napoli’s, it will be in part to the host’s performance in Game 3. First baseman Mike Napoli drove in Cleveland’s first run with a booming double off the glove of Jays right fielder Jose Bautista in the top of the first.
After the Jays tied things up on Michael Saunders’ homer in the second, Napoli struck again with a booming home run of his own into the left-center field seats.
Then in the sixth, Napoli drew a one-out walk, moved to second on a wild pitch and came around to score on a single by Jose Ramirez.
Napoli’s big game was certainly unexpected. He entered the game 2-for-18 in the postseason for a .111 average.
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Out for blood: Indians starter Trevor Bauer attempted to pitch three days after cutting his right pinkie finger in a drone-related incident. The gash required 10 stitches, but team officials were confident that moving him from Game 2 to Game 3 would give the wound enough time to heal.
They were mistaken.
The finger began bleeding in the first inning, and after walking cleanup hitter Troy Tulowitzki, Bauer had to be replaced after just 21 pitches.
“I told him keep the ball – it might be worth something some day,” manager Terry Francona told Bauer as he exited the game.
Indians' Trevor Bauer exits ALCS Game 3 vs. Blue Jays with bloody finger
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Manager's special: Francona knew going into the game that he might be forced to use just about every arm in the bullpen. Fortunately, the Indians’ dominance in the first two games gave the relievers not named Andrew Miller or Cody Allen plenty of rest – even before the off day ahead of Game 3.
Still, Francona had to maneuver through the Jays lineup without overworking those relievers. He used a total of six pitchers to get the game’s final 25 outs.
Dan Otero and Jeff Manship went 1 1/3 innings apiece. Zach McAllister pitched one frame. Bryan Shaw and Cody Allen each worked 1 2/3 innings and Andrew Miller worked he final 1 1/3.
Indians' bullpen masterpiece puts them one win from AL pennant, World Series
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Game 3 pivot point: Francona made the unconventional move to bring in closer Cody Allen with no one out and a runner on first base in the bottom of the seventh inning.
With nine outs to get, he chose Allen to face the lower part of the order – the Nos. 8, 9 and 1 spots – and save the dominant Andrew Miller for the heart of the lineup in the eighth.
Allen retired Ezequiel Carrera on a fly ball and struck out pinch-hitter Justin Smoak.
Jose Bautista took some very close pitches with two strikes to coax a walk and bring up the only Blue Jays hitter who’s had any measure of success in the playoffs, Josh Donaldson.
Donaldson jumped on the first pitch from Allen and ripped a hard liner to left field, where Coco Crisp made a sliding basket catch to end the threat and protect a 4-2 lead.
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Needing a mulligan: Toronto’s No. 3 hitter, Edwin Encarnacion, came to the plate three different times with runners on base, but failed to cash in each time.
He hit a fly ball to center against Bauer with a man aboard in the first. He hit an infield popup in the third with a runner at first. And after the Jays tied the game 2-2 in the fifth, he bounced into an inning-ending forceout.
Encarnacion certainly isn’t the only Toronto hitter who’s struggled in this series.
He, Jose Bautista, Troy Tulowitzki and Russell Martin – the lineup’s veteran core – are a combined 5-for-42 (.119).
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State of the Series: The Indians are just one win away from their first World Series since 1997.
With Bauer leaving early and the bullpen getting a workout, the Indians will turn to ace Corey Kluber on short rest to start Game 4.
Kluber pitched 6 1/3 shutout innings in winning the ALCS opener and has not allowed a run in either of his postseason starts. He’ll be asked to go fairly deep in the game to save the bullpen – and potentially clinch the AL pennant.
The Blue Jays will counter in Game 4 with their best pitcher during the regular season, 24-year-old right-hander Aaron Sanchez. A converted reliever, Sanchez became a full-time starter in 2016 and led the AL with a 3.00 ERA, while posting a 15-2 record.
He hasn’t pitched since Game 3 of the division series, when he uncharacteristically gave up six runs in 5 2/3 innings, but didn’t factor in the decision. Sanchez will be pitching on eight days’ rest.
He said Monday the long layoff won’t be a factor: “A lot of pitchers don't like it, but having the luxury of doing it throughout the course of the year quite a few times, so it's not anything new.”
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What you missed on TV: Former Blue Jays great Lloyd Moseby threw out the ceremonial first pitch to outfielder Melvin Upton Jr.
An athletic center fielder with pop, Moseby hit 149 home runs in his 10-year career in Toronto. With George Bell in left field and Jesse Barfield in right, the trio made up one of the greatest outfields in team history.
Moseby was part of Jays playoff teams in 1985 and 1989. However, he moved on to the Detroit Tigers for the final two seasons of his career and missed out on being part of the Jays’ back-to-back World Series champions in 1992 and 1993.
Gallery: Indians, Blue Jays clash in ALCS
