Indians Clinch Playoff Berth

Ben Patrizi

The Indians clinched their 12th playoff berth in their franchise history September

26, 2016. After their slow start to the season, they started to pick up the pace before their chance to make the postseason and play October baseball slipped away. The

Indians have made the postseason in 1920, 1948, 1954, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999,

2001, 2007 and 2013. They have only reached the World Series in 5 of their 12 appearances in the postseason. The Indians had started the season out slow when an injury occurred to one of their biggest clutch players, Michael Brantley. When they finally found their team chemistry, they started to heat up, including the longest winning streak in their franchise history, going 14-0. The Indians ended the season with a 94-67 record, winning 6 of the last 10 games they played. The Indians clinched their berth after winning 7-4 over the Detroit Tigers, although during this game the Indians’ starting pitcher Corey Kluber had to leave the game with what was first diagnosed as a groin injury that ended up being a quad injury.

The Indians faced the Boston Red Socks in their first series of the ALDS. On

October 6 the Indians played the Boston Red Sox in game one of the American League

Division Series at Progressive Field. The Indians pulled away winning 5-4. The Indians had an explosive third inning hitting 3 homeruns, two of them coming back to back. After taking game 1, they still had to keep their energy level up for game 2 on October 7th.

Boston was looking to take game two after losing in game one. The Indians started with a monster 2nd inning scoring 4 runs including a 3 run homerun by the Indians right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall.

The Indians look to sweep the Red Sox with a third win in Boston on October

10th. The Indians are starting the veteran Josh Tomlin against the Red Socks young

Clay Buchholz on Monday night hoping to cap a win and move on to the League

Championship where they would play against the Toronto Blue Jays.