ALCS MVP

When the Indians sent four prospects -- including two blue-chippers -- to the Yankees at the trade deadline, they knew he was good. But there's still a difference between even very good and dominant. There's no other term you could use to describe his performance in Cleveland's ALCS victory over the Blue Jays.
He worked four of the five games, going 7-2/3 shutout innings, allowing just three hits, and no walks. The big lefty faced 26 Toronto batters, and struck out 14 of them.
The way manager Terry Francona used him was notable as well -- he didn't close in the conventional sense. He entered at various points to stop threats dead in their tracks. We saw it again Wednesday, when he came in with one on and one out in the 6th and promptly got the first batter he saw -- 2015 AL MVP Josh Donaldson -- to ground into a rally-killing double play. He worked 2-2/3 innings and was masterful.
That sounds like an automatic series MVP, doesn't it?
Now the Indians and their injury-thinned pitching staff get six days to rest and heal, as the Cubs and Dodgers determine who heads for Cleveland Tuesday night in the opening game of the 2016 World Series.


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