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A20 SPORTS
Tuesday 9 OcTOber 2018

October orbit: Astros advance with 11-3 win, sweep Indians

By TOM WITHERS
CLEVELAND (AP) — As his
teammates sprayed each
other with champagne
and beer in Houston’s buzz-
ing clubhouse, ace Justin
Verlander stayed clear of
the fray and foam while
enjoying a cigar.
This wasn’t the time to get
soaked. Bigger parties lie
ahead.
The Astros are back in an
October orbit.
The defending World Series
champions advanced to
the AL Championship Se-
ries for the second straight
year — with surprising ease
— by completing a division-
round sweep of Cleveland
on Monday with an 11-3
lashing in Game 3 helped
by two key throwing errors
from Indians reliever Trevor
Bauer. Houston Astros' George Springer (4) and teammates celebrate after defeating the Cleveland Indians in Game 3 of a baseball
“No one takes anything for American League Division Series, Monday, Oct. 8, 2018, in Cleveland.
granted here,” Verlander Associated Press
said. “That’s the DNA of the
guys in this clubhouse. This that a second Series title is ture while saying goodbye the enigmatic pitcher all by Baltimore (1983, 1997).
team has a propensity to on their itinerary. to teammates. winter. After hitting just three home
do big things in big spots. After the Astros finished this “There’s probably a mil- “I caught the ball. I turned runs in the final 1½ months
This is an atmosphere that demolition of the Indians, lion things you could point around to throw it,” Bauer of the regular season,
breeds winning. they briefly celebrated on to why we didn’t win three said. “I saw Frankie go- Springer went deep three
“We have the most com- the infield at Progressive games,” said Miller, who ing to my right and the times against Cleveland.
plete team in baseball.” Field before donning ski was on the disabled list umpire crossing over and Unlike the Indians, who
Marwin Gonzalez hit a two- goggles in their clubhouse. three times this year. “This is going to my left. I was in coasted to a third straight
run double off Bauer in a For the Indians, another isn’t the way we want it to the middle of throwing. I title, Houston got pushed.
three-run seventh inning , postseason ended ear- end.” kind of flinched. I made a But once the Oakland Ath-
and the Astros scored 10 lier than planned. Cleve- Francisco Lindor homered bad throw. There’s no way letics applied pressure, the
runs in their final three at- land was beaten in the first off a circular digital clock in around it. That should have Astros took off and went 29-
bats to turn a series that round for the second year the fifth off Dallas Keuchel been the end of the inning. 10 after Aug. 18.
was supposed to be com- in a row — New York came to give Cleveland a 2-1 “It was a 2-2 game and They’re soaring again.
petitive into a complete back from a 2-0 deficit in lead that vanished in the we’re in the seventh and “At no point this season
rout. 2017 — and baseball’s lon- seventh. had a chance. I didn’t ex- was there any compla-
“We’re the reigning world gest World Series champi- With a major assist, actually ecute.” As he walked to cency with this team,” Ver-
champs, and we really onship drought will reach a two of them by Bauer, the the dugout, Bauer, who did lander said. “If I had been
have a good ability to 71st anniversary. Astros rallied off Bauer. The not commit an error in 28 traded here after they won
show up for the day,” Hous- The Indians hit just .144 in the starter-turned-postseason appearances this season, the World Series, instead of
ton manager A.J. Hinch series, were outscored 21-6 reliever, who took the loss, received a polite ovation before it last year, I would
said. “So proud of our guys, and have lost six straight stooped behind the mound from Cleveland fans. They have assumed this was a
the work they put into the playoff games. They were and dropped his head af- appreciated that the Indi- young and hungry team
winter. It was a short winter swept for the first time since ter his two errant throws. ans had to ride him in Octo- when I walked in the club-
for us. As you can see, our the 1954 World Series. Tony Kemp singled and ber because of all the other house.”
guys are pretty hungry to “We got to go home now, was awarded second problems in the team’s bull- ROCKET MEN
advance.” before we’re ready to,” when Bauer’s pickoff throw pen. Mike Clevinger gave Houston hit eight homers
The Astros moved to the manager Terry Francona hopped into the photogra- Francona a terrific outing in the series, including two
ALCS on-deck circle, where said. “That hurts. It always pher’s pit . Springer reached — five strong innings before from Bregman and one
they await the Boston-New stings. I just told the guys, on a dribbler that catcher Bauer entered. apiece from Correa, Altuve
York winner for a shot to we’ve got a number of Yan Gomes couldn’t make Springer, who struck out on and Martin Maldonado.
play for another champi- guys that are free agents. a play on as Kemp took three pitches in his first two The Astros, who were sev-
onship. You know there’s going to third. Jose Altuve grounded at-bats against Clevinger, enth in the AL with 205
George Springer hom- be some turnover, and it’s into a forceout, with Kemp got him the third time and homers in the regular sea-
ered twice, Carlos Correa a real special group to all scoring to tie it 2-2 . drove the first pitch into the son, connected four times
hit three-run homer for his of us. Bauer got the danger- left-field bleachers to tie it in Game 1.
first hit of the postseason “So that’s a hard one, when ous Alex Bregman to hit a 1-all . It was Springer’s fran- NO CLUTCH
and Houston’s bullpen you’re saying goodbye be- comebacker. But the right- chise-record ninth homer The Indians have lost nine
combined for four score- fore you’re ready to.” hander’s throw to second in the postseason — he hit straight consecutive post-
less innings, including six Reliever Andrew Miller, one was off line , pulling Lindor No. 10 in the eighth — and season games when fac-
straight outs by winner Col- of several potential free off the bag and and both gave the Astros a homer in ing elimination, dating to
lin McHugh , as the AL West agents, couldn’t allow him- runners were safe — a mis- 12 straight playoff games, Game 7 of the 1997 World
champions served notice self to think about the fu- take that surely will haunt matching the AL record set Series.q