5 days that changed the season for the Tribe

CLEVELAND — The road to October is rarely a smooth one. The Indians came into this season expecting to contend, but they could not have predicted the amount of obstacles that would come up on the way to the American League Central crown.

The Indians played most of the year without star outfielder Michael Brantley, and they dealt with injuries to core players Yan Gomes, Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar. Still, Cleveland found ways to win, dominating its division rivals and capturing its first Central title since 2007. It has all added up to a date with the Red Sox in the American League Division Series, beginning at 8:08 p.m. on Thursday (TBS) at Progressive Field.

Game Date Time Matchup TV Gm 1 Oct. 6 8 p.m. BOS @ CLE TBS Gm 2 Oct. 7 4:30 p.m. BOS @ CLE TBS Gm 3 Oct. 9 4 p.m. CLE @ BOS TBS *Gm 4 Oct. 10 TBD CLE @ BOS TBS *Gm 5 Oct. 12 TBD BOS @ CLE TBS *- If necessary | All times listed ETShop for postseason gear: Red Sox | Indians • Complete Postseason coverage

“We knew we would face adversity,” Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor said. “[Indians manager Terry Francona] told us from Day 1: Respect the clubhouse, respect each other, respect the people around you and play the game the way the Tribe plays the game, wnd we’ll come out with good things at the end of the year.”

Here are five days that changed the season for the Tribe:

Jan. 5: Indians sign Mike Napoli

It looked like a risky move, considering Napoli had dealt with a variety of health issues and worked as a platoon player at times in recent seasons, but the one-year deal to sign the first baseman paid enormous dividends. Napoli brought the kind of right-handed power that had been missing for years, becoming the first righty slugger to have 30-plus homers and 100-plus RBIs for Cleveland since 2001. Fans embraced the “Party at Napoli’s” rallying cry, turning him into a cult hero in no time. Napoli and Carlos Santana became a powerful duo, belting …

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