I also remember Perez hit 7 homers last season in 184 at bats, as well as a .348 on base percentage.

Add that to his defense and you have something.

This year, he was pretty much thrown in as soon as he was healthy (no one's fault since Gimenez had been holding the fort), and no doubt that hugely affected his hitting for a long while. Not easy to do.

But the potential was still there, and now he seems to have gotten his timing back with all the reps he now has.

Game 1 (Oct. 14): Blue Jays at Indians, 8:08 p.m. ET

Game 2 (Oct. 15): Blue Jays at Indians, 4:08 p.m. ET

Game 3 (Oct. 17): Indians at Blue Jays, 8:08 p.m. ET

Game 4 (Oct. 18): Indians at Blue Jays, 4:08 p.m. ET

*Game 5 (Oct. 19): Indians at Blue Jays, 4:08 p.m. ET

*Game 6 (Oct. 21): Blue Jays at Indians, 8:08 p.m. ET

*Game 7 (Oct. 22): Blue Jays at Indians, time TBD

*if necessary

We win!!!

I'm a believer in match ups, even in the playoffs.

I disagree with the big advantage for Toronto at the catcher's position. Martin is having a poor post season so far and Perez is the more dominant on defense. My choice is small advantage Cleveland.

I also disagree with the slight advantage for Toronto at the closer position. Reverse that one. I give the slight advantage to Cleveland.

Overall, Cleveland has the slight advantage.

Our top priority is limiting Toronto's long ball production. Keep them in the ball park and we can with this series.

I figured if we beat Price in his first attempt during the Boston series, we'd take the series 3 games out of 5. I never expected 3 for 3.

If we keep Toronto in the ball park, we have a great opportunity to win this series. Tomorrow is critical. Tomlin has to limit the long ball damage. If he can keep us in the ball game for the first 5 innings, we can beat Happ.

I like Cleveland in 6 or 7 if we limit the home runs.

Otherwise, I hate to say it, Toronto in 6 or 7.

Kluber was AWESOME tonight! Hopefully, Tomlin and Bauer can feed off of Kluber's energy and give us a couple of quality starts. Let the bullpen bring us home.

Lindor picked a nice time to bust his slump. That homer should give us some momentum heading into tomorrow night's game.

Napoli is picking a bad time to hit the skids. He needs a couple of hits tomorrow.

I'd like to see Davis getting a couple of starts and let Naquin come in off the bench for defense or do some pinch hitting. I'd like to get Davis' speed in the lineup at least for tomorrow.

These players are pretty gritty. They play the game the right way.

Go Tribe!

OK, so the run to put the Tribe up was completely manufactured by Rajai.

Yes, it won't show in the stats but:

1. Beats out the throw to first to prevent DP
2. Steals 2nd
3. Advances to 3B on a ball that gets away from catcher, but throw was close
4. Scores on Lindor single

This year's Indians - better baserunning and defense.

And Tito likes that National league style. He also likes manipulating relievers. Pretty darn good fit there.

Miller has faced 12 batters in something like the last 20 hours and struck out 10 of them. Just unreal. Like video game stuff.

I mean, what reliever throws 2 innings one day and comes back to throw two more the next, let alone be unhittable both days.

This team just thrives on adversity.

In this series Kipnis, Napoli, and Ramirez have basically been non-existent offensively speaking of course but these guys just keep picking each other up. Kipnis, Napoli, and Ramirez have got to get back on track in Toronto.

Tomlin did what he had to this day. We ask for a quality start and we got one. The unsung hero of this game. Tomlin matched Happ pitch for pitch. Terrific job to keep us in the game.

I really like Bauer's chances in Toronto. Like I mentioned previously, I think this drone incident worked in our favor. Like Tomlin did today, Bauer has to give us a quality start in Toronto.

Toronto will be pressing to get back into this series especially at home. They are behind the 8 ball. The pressure is on them, not us.

Toronto basically thrives on the long ball and they've been showing it by the big swings they've been taking. Down by 2 late yesterday and down by 1 late today, they were swinging from the heals hoping for the long ball. They won't win that game against our bullpen. I didn't see anyone during the last three innings of these two ball games trying to put the ball in play and take it 1 run at a time. Swinging from the heals is working to our advantage thus far.

Go Tribe!

Hillbilly wrote:Miller has faced 12 batters in something like the last 20 hours and struck out 10 of them. Just unreal. Like video game stuff.

I mean, what reliever throws 2 innings one day and comes back to throw two more the next, let alone be unhittable both days.

Amen. This is unprecedented stuff. So far, our playoff MVP

Miller piled up 123 strikeouts against nine walks. He is the only pitcher in baseball history to have at least 120 punchouts with fewer than 10 walks in a season.

When Miller struck out Russell Martin, Melvin Upton Jr. and Kevin Pillar in the seventh, it gave the 6-foot-7 lefty seven consecutive strikeouts over his past two outings. That tied a postseason record, which was set by Phil Coke, pitching for the Tigers in the 2012 World Series. In this ALCS, Miller has struck out 10 of the 12 batters he has faced. The two non-strikeouts were a groundout and base hit.

Miller has four or more strikeouts in three games this postseason, becoming only the third reliever to do that in one October. Francisco Rodriguez achieved that feat with the Angels in 2002, and Dave Burba did it for the Indians in 1998. In these playoffs, batters are 1-for-21 in two-strike counts against Miller, who has 17 strikeouts overall in 7 2/3 shutout innings.

Thank you, Jonathan Lucroy.

And hope he's enjoying the view from his tv room.

Happens all the time, things we think are "bad" don't turn out that way at all.

So meanwhile Lucroy has one year left on his contract and Frankie continues to ripen on our farm. That works.

Did anyone see the note that "When Superman goes to sleep, he wears Andrew Miller PJ's
'

Since the best-of-seven formula was adopted in 1985 (the year Toronto lost the pennant to Kansas City in seven after leading 3-1), the team that has won Game 2 of the ALCS has advanced to the World Series 24 out of 30 times (80 per cent), including the last 17. Just saying.