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C positive: Cleveland has mighty chemistry
- Updated: October 18, 2016
TORONTO — The principals of the ‘pen were gathered together in the trainer’s room in the bowels of the Rogers Centre, having just received their respective rubdowns, when they saw the gory images more suitable for a Halloween flick than a baseball field.
This Indians’ starting staff was already short-handed, but now, with Trevor Bauer’s pinkie pouring blood on the mound, it had come up short-fingered, too. And Bryan Shaw, Cody Allen and Andrew Miller knew then that Game 3 of this American League Championship Series with the Blue Jays would not be an ordinary one.
“Well,” Allen said aloud, “here we go.”
• ALCS Game 4: Today at 4 p.m. ET on TBS/Sportsnet/RDS
Game Date Time Matchup TV Gm 1 Oct. 14 CLE 2, TOR 0 Gm 2 Oct. 15 CLE 2, TOR 1 Gm 3 Oct. 17 CLE 4, TOR 2 Gm 4 Oct. 18 4 p.m. CLE @ TOR TBS/SNET/RDS *Gm 5 Oct. 19 4 p.m. CLE@ TOR TBS/SNET/RDS *Gm 6 Oct. 21 8 p.m. TOR @ CLE TBS/SNET/RDS *Gm 7 Oct. 22 TBD TOR @ CLE TBS/SNET/RDS * If necessary | All times listed ET • ALCS coverageShop for postseason gear: Blue Jays | Indians
There they went, one by one, the trail of Tribe relievers stopping the bleeding by plowing through the purportedly potent Blue Jays lineup, while a suddenly awoken Mike Napoli, Jason Kipnis and Jose Ramirez took care of the rest. The Indians’ ridiculous postseason run is now up to six straight victories, and this one Monday night — a 4-2 win that put them on the precipice of baseball’s Promised Land — was by far the most inconceivable yet.
“Good teams,” Bauer said, “find a way to overcome circumstances.”
That was, of course, a not-so-subtle shot at Jose Bautista’s workout day comments alluding to “circumstances” with the strike zone, but Bautista, who did not talk to the media after Toronto’s latest loss, was only part of the controversy surrounding this one.
In the hours leading up to Game 3, the Indians had their very identity called into question. An activist on behalf of indigenous people urged an Ontario court to block the club from using its team name and Chief Wahoo logo on the road uniforms. Superior Court Justice Tom McEwen dismissed the suit, and then the Indians suited up with the Chief on their cap.
This was, actually, an interesting plot point. The starting pitcher selects the uniform and, on the road, Bauer typically goes with the grays that are accompanied by the block-C cap.
So why did Bauer choose the alternate combination of navy blue jersey with Wahoo up top? Superstition (the Indians had worn …
