It's Miller time again
Reliever's mastery helps Indians take 2-0 lead in series
What the Indians do have is depth, chemistry and perhaps the most dominant bullpen weapon in the game. And Andrew Miller has Blue Jays batters flailing while the Indians are halfway to a World Series.
Josh Tomlin baffled the Blue Jays for nearly six innings Saturday and Miller, acquired just ahead of the trade deadline for exactly these pressure-packed October moments, blew them away as the Indians edged Toronto, 2-1, to take 2-0 lead in the American League Championship Series.
Carlos Santana homered off 20-game winner J.A. Happ, and Francisco Lindor had an RBI single for the Indians, who have won five straight postseason games for the first time in their 116-year history.
An afterthought in August, Tomlin allowed one run and three hits in 5
He has not allowed a run in 16 career postseason innings.
“He's one of the best I've ever seen,” said closer Cody Allen, who worked the ninth to earn another save. “He goes out there for two innings, shuts them down and gets a lot of swings and misses. When you come in behind a guy like that, you're in a pretty good spot.”
“There's a reason we gave up what we did for him,” Francona said of the four top prospects the Indians sent to the Yankees.