Trevor Bauer was the hero of ALDS Game 1. Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona tabbed Bauer to start the opening game of the series and he did not disappoint. Pitching against the New York Yankees, Bauer got two outs in the seventh inning before he was lifted for the bullpen. He had given up only two hits and a walk on the night while striking out eight Yankees hitters.
On offense, Jay Bruce led the charge, going 2-for-3 at the plate with an important fourth-inning homer. He had three RBIs on the night, showing the front office made a wise move acquiring him from the New York Mets in a midseason trade.
While the Indians only manager five total hits on the night, it was more than enough to help the pitching staff carry the team to a Game 1 victory.
Indians bullpen better than the Yankees
The final seven outs of the night were thanks to Cleveland Indians relievers Andrew Miller and Cody Allen. They struck out six hitters, completing the Game 1 shutout and pushing the total number of Yankees strikeouts to 14 on the night. Among the Victims was Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, who struck out four times on the night. Four other Yankees hitters struck out twice on the night.
While this is only one game in a best-of-three series, getting on the board first can be extremely important in the postseason.
Secondary to the 4-0 result is that the Indians were able to save ace Corey Kluber for Game 2. It was a cunning move by manager Terry Francona to hold back his ace, just in case the series ends up going five games. If it does, Kluber could also pitch in Game 5.
Indians vs. Yankees Game 2
Corey Kluber (18-4, 2.23 ERA) takes the mound for the Cleveland Indians in Game 2.
He will be opposed by CC Sabathia (14-5, 3.69 ERA), as the New York Yankees try to pull even in the series. It’s an interesting matchup, as Sabathia had his best seasons with the Indians, even winning a Cy Young Award during his time in Cleveland. He still has the ability to mute the power of opposing hitters, so he could be an important weapon against the Indians.
In the other American League Division Series, the Houston Astros beat the Boston Red Sox on Friday night (Oct. 5). Jose Altuve hit three home runs and the Astros raced to an 8-0 victory. The winner of the Cleveland Indians vs. New York Yankees series will advance to play the winner of that series in the 2017 ALCS. The series isn’t over yet, though, and Aaron Judge did set a new record for home runs by a Yankees hitter at Yankee Stadium. That’s something the Indians will have to deal with next week, no matter what happens in Game 2 on Friday night (Oct. 6).
