The Indians won a battle of the long ball in taking Game 1 of their American League Division Series against the Red Sox in Cleveland.
Roberto Perez, Jason Kipnis and Francisco Lindor each hit solo homers in the third inning of the Indians’ 5-4 triumph over Boston. Perez tied the game by homering in his first career postseason at-bat before Kipnis and Lindor added back-to-back blasts. The power surge occurred shortly after Andrew Benintendi’s solo blast gave Boston a 2-1 advantage in the top of the third.
Kipnis was 3-for-4 with two RBIs to lead the Indians’ 10-hit attack. Sandy Leon and Brock Holt belted solo shots for the Bosox.
Neither starting pitcher got out of the fifth inning. Bosox hurler Rick Porcello was tagged for five runs and six hits over 4 1/3 innings after winning a major league-leading 22 games during the regular season. Trevor Bauer gave up three runs and six hits before he was pulled with two outs in the fifth.
Andre Miller worked two innings of scoreless relief to get the win. Cody Allen closed out the victory with a five-out save. Porcello took the loss.
Friday’s Game 2 matchup is a good one with former Cy Young award winners Corey Kluber taking the mound for the Indians against David Price.
Toronto also took the opener of its AL Division Series against Texas.
Cole Hamels entered the game 7-5 with a tidy 3.03 ERA in 15 career postseason starts before the Blue Jays tagged him for seven runs over 3 1/3 innings of the Blue Jays’ 10-1 laugher against the Rangers in Texas. Hamels was lifted after Josh Donaldson’s RBI single put Toronto ahead 7-0 in the fourth.
Ian Desmond added to Hamels’ misery by misplaying a fly ball into a bases-loaded triple by Troy Tulowitzki (too-loh-IHTS’-kee), capping the Blue Jays’ five-run third. Desmond also went 0-for-4 and made the game’s final out.
Estrada sailed against the Rangers, carrying a three-hitter into the ninth before Elvis Andrus (AN’-droos) tripled and scored on Shin-Soo Choo’s grounder. Estrada was reached for just four hits over 8 1/3 innings and improved to 3-1 with a 2.67 ERA lifetime in the postseason.
Jose Bautista had a productive day at the plate, launching a three-run homer in the ninth to finish with four RBIs. Melvin Upton Jr. hit a solo blast for the Blue Jays, who won a five-game series against Texas in last year’s division series.
Game 2 is Friday in Texas. The Blue Jays will start 20-game winner J.A. Happ against Yu Darvish, who went 7-5 this season after recovering from Tommy John surgery and subsequent elbow issues.
