ALDS Game 3: Indians advance to ALCS with sweep of Red Sox

Coco Crisp’s two-run homer gave Cleveland a nice cushion in the sixth inning of Game 3.

The whole “Believeland” thing might be catching on in Cleveland. Just months after the Cavaliers broke the city’s championship drought, the Cleveland Indians are looking to continue Cleveland’s recent reversal of fortune.

With their 4-3 win over the Boston Red Sox during Game 3 of the American League Division Series, the Indians are now one step closer to that goal. The club will advance to the American League Championship Series for the first time since 2007.

A trio of unsung heroes helped pushed Cleveland over that hump. Pitcher Josh Tomlin didn’t have a tremendous outing, but kept the Red Sox’s bats quiet long enough to allow Terry Francona to turn to his dominant bullpen at an appropriate time.

Tomlin received run support thanks to outfielder Tyler Naquin, who singled in two runs in the fourth inning to open the scoring. A few innings later, outfielder Coco Crisp added to the team’s lead with a two-run homer in the sixth.

By that time, the Indians had already turned things over to the bullpen. Cleveland’s relievers wound up being slightly more vulnerable in this contest, but prevented Boston from completing the comeback. Cody Allen got himself in trouble in both the eighth and ninth, but managed to shut down two different rallies, sending Cleveland one step closer to a World Series title.

• Tyler Naquin had just one hit during the contest, but he made it count. With the Indians threatening in the fourth inning, Naquin managed to put some runs on the board. His one out single to right scored both Jose Ramirez and Lonnie Chisenhall, giving Cleveland the early lead. He struck out in his other at-bat and was replaced by a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning, but his huge hit made the difference in this one.

• It’s been a quite a journey for outfielder Coco Crisp this season. Crisp lost his job in Oakland only to get traded back to the club he came up with for a postseason run. In Game 3, the 36-year-old showed that he still has something left in the tank. His two-run homer in the sixth inning gave the Indians’ bullpen enough of a cushion to stave off Boston’s comeback.

• With the exception of Xander Bogaerts, the entire Red Sox offense failed to get much done against Tomlin and the Indians. Bogaerts was the only Red Sox player with multiple hits. Take out his 2-for-4 performance, and Red Sox batters managed just five hits during the contest.

• Drew Pomeranz was supposed to be the Red Sox’s big addition at the trade deadline. After a poor second half, he was pushed to the bullpen for the playoffs. His new role didn’t suit him well Monday. Pomeranz gave up Crisp’s two-run blast in the sixth inning. While it was the only hit he surrendered, it put Boston in a big hole.

The Red Sox attempted to mount what would have been a dramatic comeback in the eighth inning. With the tying run on second, Bogaerts stepped to the plate with two outs looking to tie things up. Just before the at-bat, David Ortiz was removed from the game, and he made sure to pump up the fans as he left the field.

With Fenway Park rocking, Bogaerts smacked a line drive to the right side. For half a second, it looked like maybe Bogaerts tied things up. Instead, the ball was hit directly at second baseman Jason Kipnis. Kipnis made the catch, ending the threat and quieting the Boston crowd.

Cleveland came into the series with a number of injuries, but still managed to look dominant against a tough Red Sox club. The pitching staff, which was severely hindered, somehow quieted a Red Sox offense that had been dominant all season. On top of that, manager Terry Francona showed a willingness to go to his bullpen early, and ride his relievers hard. Given the talent in Cleveland’s bullpen, that certainly seems like a recipe for success moving forward.

They’ll also be talking about David Ortiz. With the loss, Ortiz has officially played his last game in the majors. The 40-year-old had such an incredible, storybook regular season that it seems unfair he was eliminated from the playoffs like this.

Though things didn’t go his way this postseason, David Ortiz can be proud of his career numbers in October.

Most Career Postseason RBI:

Bernie Williams 80
Manny Ramirez 78
David Justice 63
Derek Jeter 61
David Ortiz 61

— Katie Sharp (@ktsharp) October 11, 2016

The Indians are moving to the ALCS to take on the Toronto Blue Jays. Game 1 will take place in Cleveland, and is slated for Friday, Oct. 14 at 8:00 p.m. ET. It will be broadcast on FS1 and Sportsnet. Starting pitchers have not been announced at this time.