No Giants coverage because after a long day and doing fight heads,I fell asleep on the couch in the sixth inning (Cubs leading 3-2) and apparently missed a classic ending.
Such is my luck,but I'd rather miss a win than see a loss...
I did watch the Indians game as I did Fight Heads,so I do have some thoughts on a 4-3 win.
1) Cleveland will host Toronto Friday night in game one of the ALCS and will have home field advantage over the Blue Jays,who looked impressive in brushing aside the Texas Rangers in three short games...
2) Terry Francona once again went for the throat using his bullpen with Cody Allen getting a more than three out save and Andrew Miller leaving the pen early (6th and 7th innings).
Francona's aggressive (and not always template) use of the current pen was a major part of winning this series..
3) Josh Tomlin has always been a personal favorite of mine from his days coming through Hagerstown and Frederick,so I was happy to see him pitch so well in a five inning start.
Tomlin is never going to blow you away with a power fastball or fabulous stats,but he's what you hope to get in today's game from a 4th or 5th starter-five to six solid innings,keep the game close and give your team a chance to win...
4) I've often criticized the Indians front offices for some of their trades,but trades big and small worked out in this game.
Andrew Miller did his job well in taking two Red Sox innings off the board,but the minor deal loomed large as well as Coco Crisp swatted a two run homer off Drew Pomerantz for the winning runs in the sixth innings.
The little deals sometimes can be massive on any particular night and Coco Crisp showed that,as did Brandon Guyer earlier in the series...
5) Give some credit for another player that has surpassed my expectations this season in Tyler Naquin,who drilled a two run single for the other Cleveland runs.
I always saw Naquin as a fourth outfielder,but he's been better than that in his rookie season.
Naquin still may be better suited for that role,but I cannot complain for the 2016 season.
6) Thumbs down to TBS for the lack of attention to the celebration in order to swoon over the retiring David Ortiz.
I respect what Ortiz has done over the course of his career and deserves some attention,but I would have rather seen a longer post game than covered both adequately..
7) TBS continues with the American League playoffs and frankly has not been rated even good.
Ernie Johnson is average,I guess,Cal Ripken is his typical boring,cranky self and Ron Darling never shuts up because he has to try to keep Cal Ripken awake.
That's odd because I never minded Darling in the booth with the Mets (and the Nationals before that).
Combine that with odd camera work (FS1 in the NLDS has been even worse with that) and you have a very uneven effort...
8) The Red Sox:Best offensive team in the majors-seven runs in three games.
Figure in an anemic 3 for 21 in scoring position and add it up....
9) Can the Indians move on against a suddenly scorching Toronto team?
Yes,but they are going to have continue to get decent starting pitching and hope that the aggressive use of the bullpen pays off.
It'll be tight,but the homer in me says Tribe in seven...
Back later with a small Browns move that I think is exactly the type of move that the Browns should be making and the Devils make a waiver claim before their Thursday opener...
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