3 key moves that propelled Tribe to ALCS

CLEVELAND — With Fenway Park’s century-old bricks shaking from the crowd noise and the Red Sox threatening to put Cleveland’s champagne back into storage, it was easy for Chris Antonetti to let his mind wander to what could go wrong for his team on Monday night.

As the Indians’ president of baseball operations watched the final moments of his team’s 4-3 win over Boston in Game 3 of the American League Division Series, his nerves were calmed by an unexpected source. Antonetti’s 10-year-old daughter, Mya, served as the voice of reason within Boston’s famously intimidating atmosphere.

“[She] is the most positive person in the world,” Antonetti said. “She’s like, ‘Hey, we’re only one strike away.’ Or, ‘Hey, we’ll get the next guy out.’ Or, ‘He’s going to get this one.’ She’s always a good counterbalance to those negative thoughts that can creep into my head.”

Game Date Time Matchup TV Gm 1 Oct. 14 8 p.m. TOR @ CLE TBS/SNET/RDS Gm 2 Oct. 15 TBD TOR @ CLE TBS/SNET/RDS Gm 3 Oct. 17 TBD CLE@ TOR TBS/SNET/RDS Gm 4 Oct. 18 TBD CLE @ TOR TBS/SNET/RDS *Gm 5 Oct. 19 TBD CLE@ TOR TBS/SNET/RDS *Gm 6 Oct. 21 TBD TOR @ CLE TBS/SNET/RDS *Gm 7 Oct. 22 TBD TOR @ CLE TBS/SNET/RDS *- If necessary | All times listed ET  • Complete postseason coverageShop for postseason gear: Blue Jays | Indians

Mya’s optimism won out, as Cleveland survived the Red Sox’s attempts at a comeback in drama-packed eighth and ninth innings on Monday. Closer Cody Allen flirted with disaster and a handful of deep counts, but in the end, he induced a flyout to right field. The baseball that flew off Travis Shaw’s bat found its way into the glove of right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall, who held his hands in the air with a sense of relief washed across his face. The Indians will face the Blue Jays in Game 1 of the AL Championship Series on Friday night (8:08 p.m. ET, TBS)

Throughout the three-game brooming of Boston, the decision-making of both Antonetti and Indians manager Terry Francona were on full display. In Game 3, specifically, a series of moves found the spotlight. The fact that rookie Tyler Naquin, veteran Coco Crisp and relief ace Andrew Miller helped power the victory provided the latest look into how the Tribe’s orchestrators have assembled this …

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