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Lake County Sentinel
Indians swept out of ALDS by Astros after 11-3 drubbing    
BY TIM SHIRER
SPORTS EDITOR
Game three of the American League Championship series was a must win game for the American League Central Division Cleveland Indians. They entered the game trailing in the series 2-0 to the AL West Champion and reigning World Champion Houston Astros. The Astros flexed their muscles and showed why they are the defending champs as they pummeled the Indians 11-3 to sweep the series and send the Indians limping home for the winter.

The game was a pitcher’s duel once again as Indians starter Mike Clevinger skated out of some trouble in the first three innings to put up zeros. Meanwhile Houston starter Dallas Keuchel put up zeros in the first two inning and then the Indians got to him in the third when Indians catcher Yan Gomes led off the inning with a sharp single to center field. Jason Kipnis who had struck out in five of his first six at bats in the series then singled to right field, moving Gomes to second base. That brought Francisco Lindor to the plate and the Tribe shortstop executed a perfect sacrifice bunt and moved Gomes to third base and Kipnis to second. Lindor was retired at first. Michael Brantley then came to the plate and hit a deep fly ball to center field that allowed Gomes to tag up and scored and also moved Kipnis to third base. The Indians led 1-0. The inning then ended when Jose Ramirez flew out to center field, ending any further Indians scoring, stranding Kipnis at third base.

Clevinger pitched a clean fourth inning and made one mistake in the fifth inning when George Springer blasted a pitch into the left field bleachers to tie the game 1-1. It was Springer’s ninth post season home run. The nine home runs in post season is an Astros franchise record.

Clevinger went one more inning completing five innings allowing just three hits, the one earned run and struck out nine Astros while issuing three base on balls. The big right hander threw 99 pitches. The nine strike outs by Clevinger are an Indians franchise record for a pitcher making his first post season start.

In the bottom of the fifth the Indians regained lead when Lindor blasted a Keuchel pitch deep on to the home run porch 446 feet. The solo home run, Lindor’s second of the post season gave the Indians a 2-1 lead.

Trevor Bauer relieved Clevinger to start the sixth inning and pitched a 1-2-3 inning including a strike out. That’s where the positive stopped on the day for Bauer as he allowed a line drive single to Tony Kemp to lead off the seventh inning. Then he made an errant throw that got by Encarnacion at first base and allowed Kemp to advance to second base. Springer then singled softly 25 feet down the third base line and there were now runners on first and third. Bauer then got Jose Altuve to hit ground ball Lindor who threw to Ramirez to retire Springer at second but Altuve was safe at first and Kemp scored the game tying run. The trouble was far from over as Bauer then made an errant throw to second base on a ground ball hit by Bregman. Altuve was safe at second on the play and Bregman reached first base safely. Bauer then walked Yuli Gurriel to load the bases. Then came the big blow in the inning when Marwin Gonzalez doubled to the gap in left field and two runs scored, giving Houston a 4-2 lead. That was the end of the day for Bauer. It took Andrew Miller and Cody Allen to get the final two outs in the inning and keep the score at 4-2.

Cody Allen pitched the eighth inning like he pitched much of the season. He retired Kemp to begin the inning and then gave up a solo home run to Springer. The home run was Springer’s second of the day and third in the series. It extended his Houston post season home run record to 10 and gave the Astros a 5-2 lead. Allen continue to struggle as he was tagged for a double off the bat of Altuve. He then issued an intentional walk to Bregman, only to throw a wild pitch and eliminate the possibility of a double play as both runners moved up a base. Francona then chose to intentionally walk Gurriel to load the bases. That ended the day for Allen and possibly his Indians career. Brad Hand replaced Allen and could not get the job done either trying to keep the deficit at three as he allowed a single to Gonzalez on the first pitch scoring Altuve to give the Astros a 6-2 lead. Hand then retired pinch hitter Evan Gattis then the bottom fell out and Hand looked like he was pitching batting practice. After throwing a wild pitch with Carlos Correa at the plate and Bregman scored the Astros seventh run increasing their lead to 7-2. Hand then applied the final nail to the Indians 2018 coffin when he allowed a three-run home run to right field off Correa’s bat. Correa who had been in a major slump since August was in a slump no more as he put the Astros in command 10-2. Punching their ticket to the American League Championship series to face either the Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees.

Houston reliever Collin McHugh picked up the win for the Astros pitching two scoreless innings in the sixth and seventh striking out four of the six Indians batters that he faced. The Indians had two base runners with one out in the eighth inning, but post season disappointment Jose Ramirez, who did not show up for the optional work out on Sunday grounded into a double play to end the threat.

The Indians were absolutely overmatched in the series and went quietly in the ninth inning sending the Astros to their second straight ALCS.

The Indians will have many questions to answer and many decisions to make this off-season. What to do with Jason Kipnis? Do they re-sign either Cody Allen or Andrew Miller? Who is the third baseman going forward? Will Terry Francona return? These are just some of the questions Indians fans are left with as they say goodbye to Chief Wahoo and hello too what will be a very long winter..
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tshirer@lakecountysentinel.com or follow Tim on Twitter @IndiansTim Check out our IndiansNation fan Page
​POSTED 10/08/2018 17:55
Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor                           Photo by Phillip Goth