Francisco Lindor's 'dream come true' has Indians up big in ALCS on Blue Jays
CLEVELAND – The postseason spotlight has a tendency to make players appear to be better or worse than they really are.
But sometimes it can make stars appear before our eyes.
This year's American League Championship Series may be the remembered as the year Francisco Lindor of the Cleveland Indians joined the ranks of the game’s great young shortstops.
For the second consecutive game, Lindor delivered the go-ahead hit as the Indians edged the Toronto Blue Jays 2-1 to take a two games to none lead in the series.
“It’s a dream come true,” the 22-year-old Lindor said. “I always wanted to play in October and I always wanted to help my team win.”
In Game 1, Lindor’s two-run homer provided the only scoring. But on Saturday afternoon, his clutch two-out single in the third inning brought home Rajai Davis and provided all the cushion a dominant Indians pitching staff would need.
It was yet another close game, the kind that’s become almost routine this postseason – and especially in this series dominated by outstanding pitching. And both teams knew one swing of the bat might decide the outcome.
In the clutch is where Lindor has excelled.
“I've just been successful these past two days. I thank the Lord for it. But it’s going to be someone different soon,” he said. “It’s not going to be me all the time, I guarantee that. We’re not built like that.”
He did have help -- first of all from Davis, who led the league in stolen bases this season with 43. With the game tied at 1 in the third, the 35-year-old outfielder used his speed to get into scoring position by beating out a potential double-play ball, stealing second and advancing to third on a wild pitch with only one out.
After Jason Kipnis popped up to shallow left, Lindor came through with a line drive single off Jays lefty J.A. Happ to put the Indians ahead.
Davis was well aware of the importance of that hit. “One run, especially in these tight series and pitching duels … We were able to take advantage on the bases and get me in scoring position and come through with that big hit.”
In doing so, Lindor became the first Indians player to have multiple hits in three consecutive postseason games since Omar Vizquel in 1998.
“Frankie picked me up, that was huge of him,” Kipnis said. “He’s stepping up at the biggest time right now.
“Exactly what you want from one of your foundation guys where he knows he can play at any time of the year. Once October comes, he’s like I’ve done this before. So it’s good to see that.”
Lindor said a pregame conversation with injured teammate Michael Brantley helped him stay focused on what he needed to do at the plate.
“Brantley before the game told me to just calm down,” Lindor said as he recalled what the All-Star outfielder told him about the Jays lefty. “He throws 91-92 but it plays 93-95. Just calm down and be yourself and see what happens. … I just followed instructions.”
From there, the Indians once again used their familiar formula of strong starting pitching and dominant relief to nail down the win.
Starter Josh Tomlin befuddled the Blue Jays with curveballs, allowing only one run before giving way to Brian Shaw to close the sixth.
Manager Terry Francona turned again to his not-so-secret weapon to start the seventh, bringing in left-hander Andrew Miller for two innings and closer Cody Allen to finish the Jays off.
Tomlin, 31, was dropped from the rotation for a while in August and wasn’t even supposed to start Game 2 until Trevor Bauer’s ill-fated drone accident pushed him back to Monday.
But in the afternoon shadows at Progressive Field, Tomlin masterfully kept the powerful Toronto lineup off-balance by using a pitch he rarely threw all season.
Of his 85 pitches Saturday, 36 of them (42%) were curveballs. That, after only throwing curves 15% of the time during the regular season.
“I needed to establish I could throw it for a strike early on, and then it was a pretty good pitch,” Tomlin said. “The endgame strategy at that point was use whenever is a good time for it and see if we couldn’t get them out in front to try to get some early outs.”
The only time he got into trouble was in the top of the third, when ninth-place hitter Darwin Barney singled and scored on Josh Donaldson’s opposite-field double.
Tomlin settled down, though, and most importantly kept the ball down in the strike zone. For a pitcher who gave up the third-most home runs in the majors this season (36), Tomlin recorded 10 ground-ball outs and only one fly out in his 5 2/3 innings. He also struck out six.
When Francona called for Shaw to face Troy Tulowitzki to get the final out in the inning, Tomlin could feel satisfied that he’d done his job turning a lead over to the Indians’ stellar relievers.
“Those guys have been great in the regular season, they continue to be good in the postseason,” Tomlin said. “We have all the confidence in everyone in that bullpen to come in and shut the door.”
Miller was virtually unhittable once again. Toronto’s best hitters went six up, six down against him – five via the strikeout.
Over the first two games in the ALCS, Miller has faced 12 Blue Jays and struck out 10 of them.
Overall, the Indians pitching staff has allowed a total of 10 hits in 63 at-bats in the series – a .159 average. Although their hitters haven’t been much better (182), Lindor’s exploits in key situations have made the difference in the Indians having a 2-0 series lead.
“We’re playing to have fun,” Lindor said. “We’re just enjoying the ride.”