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Francona bucks trend with ‘pen in Game 1 win
- Updated: October 7, 2016
CLEVELAND — Buck Showalter.
There. You knew the name was going to be brought up eventually, so let’s just get it right out of the way.
This 2016 postseason began with the Orioles losing the American League Wild Card Game to the Blue Jays in 11 innings without using Zach Britton, who was coming off one of the great relief seasons in history, and so Showalter’s uncharacteristically questionable bullpen management is a topic that’s going to be broached in plenty of postgame copy in the coming days and weeks. You certainly could not watch the Indians’ 5-4 victory over the Red Sox in Game 1 of their AL Division Series at Progressive Field on Thursday night without thinking about the Showalter situation and how much Terry Francona’s management of this game contrasted that of the Baltimore skipper.
“Nobody ever said you had to be conventional to win,” Francona would say afterward.
Game Date Time Matchup TV/Highlights Gm 1 Oct. 6 CLE 5, BOS 4 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
Indeed, Francona simply bucked (or is it Bucked?) tradition to get this win — one that came much to the surprise of the many, many insiders, analysts, etc., who assumed the Tribe was toast when two-fifths of its once-vaunted rotation succumbed to late-season injury.
But here’s the thing: Around the time the Indians lost one signature strength, they gained another. The bullpen, beefed up by the farm system-shaking July 31 swap for Andrew Miller, is this club’s new operational advantage.
And if Game 1 is any indication whatsoever, it just might be the X-factor that can X out a loaded Boston squad.
We sent a lot of love the way of the Royals’ relievers in their title run last year. So why aren’t more people giving love to this Tribe ‘pen?
On Thursday night, it was six outs from Miller spread across three innings. And though Bryan Shaw made it interesting with the Brock Holt solo shot that made it 5-4 in the eighth, reliever Cody Allen racked up the second five-out save of his career in the second career postseason appearance.
“We kind of knew,” said Allen, “there might be a game or two throughout October where we have to do that.”
So they got that right out of the way, …
