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Indians seal home-field advantage in ALDS By Ben Weinrib / MLB.com | 1:28 AM ET + 8 COMMENTS With the Red Sox's loss to the Blue Jays on Monday, the Indians have clinched home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

The 's top seed is still in the air, with the Indians leading the Astros by two games. But regardless of whom they play, the Indians will host Games 1 and 2 of the American League Division Series on Oct. 5 and 6, as well as a potential Game 5 on Oct. 11. had the third-best record in the AL a month ago, but after rattling off 29 wins in the last 31 games, the Indians have propelled themselves to the top of the standings. They are also within 1 1/2 games of the Dodgers for the best record in the Majors, which earns home- field advantage in the . The Indians can clinch the top seed in the AL as early as Wednesday with any combination of wins and Astros losses totaling four, which would give them home-field advantage in the AL Championship Series. If the Indians get the top seed, they will face the winner of the Wild Card Game -- likely the Yankees or Twins -- while settling for the second seed would pit them against the AL East champion, likely the Red Sox.

Decisions loom for Tribe's postseason roster By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | September 25th, 2017 + 32 COMMENTS CLEVELAND -- The Indians have more than a week before they need to turn in a postseason roster for the American League Division Series. Not only can a lot happen in that period of time to impact Cleveland's plans, the Tribe also has to wait to learn its first October opponent. That has not stopped manager from pondering his playoff roster. "I've got about six of them," Francona said with a laugh. A year ago, Cleveland went with 14 position players and 11 pitchers for its ALDS pairing with the Red Sox, but that was due to carrying three catchers to protect Yan Gomes (recently back from injury at the time). The Indians also only had three healthy starting pitchers at that point. The Tribe still has some health issues to discuss for this season's ALDS, but the club looks like it will have the flexibility to carry 12 pitchers, if so desired. Whether Cleveland goes with 11 or 12 arms, there will still be difficult conversations behind the scenes. "We have a bunch of tough decisions to make," Indians pitching coach Mickey Callaway said. "It's not going to be fun for some of the guys, and for us to have to explain to them why we're choosing certain things. But the good part is, I think that everybody on our team wants us to win in whatever capacity, and they're going to be happy with whatever decisions we make. "Of course guys are going to be disappointed, but I think in the end, they'll be sitting there on the bench or wherever, cheering us on, because I think that's the makeup of our team. We've got too many good players. What can you say? That's always a good problem." Here is a look at the five biggest roster decisions facing the Tribe ahead of the ALDS: 1. Where does Danny Salazar fit? Francona said over the weekend that the Indians are leaning toward carrying four starters for the ALDS. Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco and Trevor Bauer are virtual locks for the first three spots, and has been moved to the . That leaves Josh Tomlin and Salazar as the options for the fourth slot. Right now, Tomlin is slated to start the final regular-season game and appears to have the edge for the No. 4 spot. Salazar (starting Wednesday vs. the Twins) is being stretched out to keep Cleveland's options open. If there is a setback with the rotation, Clevinger or Salazar could step in. Otherwise, the Indians will need to weigh whether they want Salazar's electric arm in the ALDS bullpen. "We do today," said Francona, referring to having good rotation depth. "One day you can feel like, 'Well, we're in good shape.' Two days later, you're like, 'Where'd they go?'" 2. Who will get the last bullpen spots? Barring something unexpected, the back end of the bullpen will be anchored by closer Cody Allen, lefty relief ace Andrew Miller and setup man Bryan Shaw. Clevinger provides another dynamic multi-inning option, too. If Francona wants a second left-hander, Tyler Olson has won over the trust of the Tribe. That would leave two of three bullpen spots up for grabs, depending on whether Francona goes with seven or eight arms. Veterans Joe Smith and Dan Otero represent front-runners, while Nick Goody has earned more leverage opportunities late in the year. That would leave Salazar on the bubble, along with Zach McAllister and lefty Craig Breslow. Lefties Ryan Merritt and Kyle Crockett offer additional depth behind that group. 3. Who will play left field? This is where some of Cleveland's walking wounded come into play. Left fielder Michael Brantley has been dealing with a right ankle injury since early August and has been shut down from running again until later this week. It's hard to envision Brantley being ready for the ALDS. Lonnie Chisenhall (right calf) has also been sidelined recently, but he might be ready to return to the lineup soon. If Chisenhall is ready in time to play in the Indians' final homestand, that will help his case as an ALDS option. Austin Jackson has been playing admirably in Brantley's place in left, but Chisenhall could offer a lefty-swinging complement, plus depth for center and right. 4. How will center field be handled? Jason Kipnis has moved to center and has not looked overmatched or overwhelmed by the position in his time out there to date. With Kipnis' bat starting to show signs of life in the past few days, expect him to remain in the plans as the center fielder for the postseason. Since Kipnis' recent return, though, Francona has used a quick hook for center, sending in for defense late in games. Given Allen's plus defense and speed, the rookie might be able to crack the ALDS roster. If not Allen, Francona's backup options for center would be Chisenhall, Abraham Almonte or Tyler Naquin. 5. Who will fill out the bench? Cleveland will carry two catchers: Gomes and Roberto Perez. The makeup of the rest of the bench will depend on whether Francona goes with 13 or 14 position players. The defensively sound Giovanny Urshela is a third baseman by trade, but he has innings at first base, second base and shortstop in September. He looks like a shoo-in for an ALDS utility job. Urshela might also split time at third with Yandy Diaz. That seemingly puts utility man Erik Gonzalez on the bubble. The comebacks of Chisenhall and Brandon Guyer (he's supposed to test his left wrist with some hitting this week) will also influence how Francona goes about building his outfield options. Weapon-in-waiting: Outlook of Mike Clevinger's move to the bullpen will depend on usage T.J. Zuppe Sep 25, 2017 “Oh my God, what am I doing?” Indians manager Terry Francona could remember thinking those words while watching reliever Andrew Miller throw 40 pitches in Game 1 of the 2016 American League Division Series. There he was, getting heaps of credit for his aggressive maneuvering, but Francona couldn't help but wonder if these sorts of tactics carried a greater cost. “There's not a lot of difference between being smart and being dumb,” Francona told reporters in January during TribeFest. “You could do the same thing again and it might not work.” On a handful of occasions this year, Francona has expressed some anxiety over the way he pushed his pitchers to their limits last October. Granted, a lot of what was done was dictated by the harsh reality of late-season injuries — not to mention a drone mishap — but provided nothing catastrophic happens between now and the end of the regular season, he'll be given a chance to set up his arms in a more favorable way entering this year's postseason. That's a relief, considering those early-year comments and others like it point to one big realization entering next month's wild ride: They can't do exactly what they did last October and hope things go in a similar way. During last year's playoffs, Tribe starters logged 69 1/3 innings. Their bullpen? They ate up 64 2/3 innings. Of those outs recorded by relievers, just more than 50 percent came from Andrew Miller (19 1/3) and Cody Allen (13 2/3), a duo regularly called upon to record far more than the normal three outs handed to a pen arm. Here is how relief innings were divided in the 2016 playoffs: Andrew Miller: 30 percent Cody Allen: 21 percent Bryan Shaw: 16 percent Dan Otero: 10.3 percent Mike Clevinger: 8.8 percent Zach McAllister: 4.6 percent Danny Salazar: 4.6 percent Jeff Manship: 3.6 percent Many (myself included) applauded Francona's usage of his high-leverage bullpen pitchers. Maximize the innings of your best relievers! Closers aren't just for the ninth anymore! Use your weapons! Abandon roles! Those opinions still carry weight, of course, but it was difficult enough for Francona to justify the vast amounts of innings he handed out to his two best bullpen arms when they were completely healthy. Miller enters this year's playoffs fighting through tendinitis in his right knee, and Allen was recently granted a few extra days of rest to help manage his arm through a long season. A repeat of last year's workload might not lead to a repeat in production. That's where Mike Clevinger enters the equation. In some ways, sorting through the Indians' decision to move Clevinger to the bullpen is like evaluating a half-completed puzzle. It's tough to make complete sense of the total picture when there are still some crucial pieces missing from the table and the photo on the front of the box looks nothing like what you're sifting through. We know who the top three starters in the Tribe rotation will likely be — Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco and Trevor Bauer — but beyond guessing that Josh Tomlin will be selected as the fourth over an uncertain Salazar, the opponent, the venue and the health of some key players are all undecided. So, let's look at what we do know. Clevinger has been outstanding more often than not in 118 innings this season. He's posted a 3.13 ERA and 3.88 FIP in his first prolonged stay in the bigs, putting together some impressive stretches of dominant work. His most recent run of success extends through his five most recent starts, posting a 0.61 ERA and striking out 34 in 29 2/3 innings. Expand the arbitrary endpoints, and his past 85 innings reveal an ERA of 2.75. Some of that is due to a higher strike percentage. A lot more is due to his conviction to throw his good curveball, slider and change-up in any count. The only concern for Clevinger has been some occasional erratic command, which has led to the majors' fifth-highest walk rate (11.9 percent) among pitchers with at least 100 innings recorded. Still, he's managed to marry that with baseball's 12-lowest opposing batting average (.209) and strand rate (79.7 percent). Given his recent performance, he certainly appeared ticketed for a playoff rotation spot. Yes, Tomlin has also been solid since his return from the disabled list (2.91 ERA in four starts), but Clevinger has had the better overall season, making the decision initially a bit perplexing. But we're still looking at a small portion of the uncompleted puzzle. What we can't see, at least currently, is how Clevinger will be deployed in the weeks ahead. Banishing him to relief, only pitching if and when all hell breaks loose? That kind of feels like a waste. That's exactly what Francona told reporters in Seattle they wouldn't do. “He’s been sent to (the bullpen to) help us win,” Francona said. “When we get into playoff series, we value the innings in our bullpen. We plan on using him as a weapon, just like (Bryan) Shaw, Cody, Andrew.” That's probably the most crucial thing said about the decision. If they are able to utilize Clevinger in such a way that it allows Francona to remain aggressive with his pitching — such as pulling a starter before things get out of hand or using Clevinger to bridge the gap from the fifth to the eighth inning — then using him as the multi-inning “weapon” he mentioned could pay off brilliantly, especially if they feel they can't fully trust Salazar to handle the role. Last October, Francona kept a tight leash on Tomlin, who is typically better (like a lot of pitchers) the first two times through the order. That tactic resulted in a 1.76 ERA for Tomlin in his first four starts of the 2016 postseason. It wasn't until he got roughed up on short rest in Game 6 of the World Series that he finally had his first poor outing. They could certainly employ a similar game plan this year. For the reworked puzzle to make sense, Clevinger will have to play a significant role. If he is called upon to log some important innings, his presence in the bullpen might help prevent them from burning through their back-end ammunition, avoiding a potential repeat of last October's usage. But if Clevinger's stay in the pen doesn't lead to a better division of those innings — or worse, he collects dust while others struggle — then that shift won't carry the same weight and will remain a point of obvious contention and criticism, yet again testing the thin line between smart and, well, you know … the opposite.

Cleveland indians, series preview, pitching matchups By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com [email protected] CLEVELAND, -- Here's a look at the three-game series between the Twins and Indians that starts Tuesday night. Where: Progressive Field, Tuesday through Thursday. TV/radio: SportsTime Ohio, WTAM/1100 and WMMS/FM 100.7. Pitching matchups: RHP Bartolo Colon (6-14, 6.63) vs. RHP Josh Tomlin (9-9, 4.98) Tuesday at 7:10 p.m.; LHP Adalberto Mejia (4-6, 4.48) vs. RHP Danny Salazar (5-6, 4.48) Wednesday at 7:10 p.m. and RHP (16-8, 36) vs. Trevor Bauer (16-9, 4.26) on Wednesday at 12:10 p.m.

Series: The Indians lead the Twins, 10-6, this season. The Indians lead, 428-402, overall.

Team updates: The Indians, including a franchise-record 22-game winning streak, have won 29 of their last 31 games. The two games they lost were by scores of 4-3 and 3-1. The Tribe is facing the Twins in what could be a preview of the ALDS, which begins on Oct. 5.

The Twins, with a 4 1/2 game lead for the second wild card spot, could clinch at Progressive Field. They are coming off a four-game sweep of the Tigers and have won 29 of their last 47 games.

Eddie Rosario is hitting .392 (20-for-51) with two homers and five RBI against the Tribe this year. Santana is 2-0 with 0.47 ERA in three starts against them this season.

Injuries: Twins -- RHP J.T. Cargoes (right elbow), RHP Philip Hughes (Thoracic Outlet Syndrome), RHP Trevor May (right elbow), LHP Ryan O'Rourke (left elbow), LHP Hector Santiago (upper back) and 3B Miguel Sano (left shin) are on the disabled list. OF Max Kepler (left hip) is day to day.

Indians - LF Michael Brantley (right ankle), LHP Boone Logan (left lat) and RHP Cody Anderson (right elbow) are on the disabled list. OF Bradley Zimmer (broken left hand) is out. OF Lonnie Chisenhall (right calf) and OF Brandon Guyer (right wrist) are day to day.

Next: The White Sox visit Friday for the last three games of the regular season.

Herb Score's mark tucked away at Progressive Field By Marc Bona, [email protected] CLEVELAND, Ohio - Progressive Field is filled with historical references and nuances, many of which are ubiquitous in the ballpark, from the looming statues in and out of the stadium gates to the scores of plaques in Heritage Park.

But photographs lining the back wall in the right-field corridor are easily missed, their positioning inches from the ground. This is where you'll see captioned art work about Tribe milestones, with brief explainers as you would find accompanying photographs in a gallery.

On the night of Sept. 26, 1956, took the mound for the Indians and earned his 500th strikeout in only his second year in the Majors. The Progressive Field caption reads:

500 K's in 68 games (September 26, 1956)

Herb Score reached 500 career in his 68th game. Score set the franchise record for quickest pitcher to reach the mark. His 500th came when he struck out ... Kansas City's Hector Lopez on September 26, 1956.

(Nearby, another photo recognizes Corey Kluber getting his 500th K in 80 games, when he struck out Kansas City's Lorenzo Cain on April 27, 2015.)

Score's accomplishment, though, was overshadowed by Vic Wertz, who stroked four doubles in that Wednesday-night game.

Wertz, a first baseman, tied a Major League record for doubles in a nine-inning game. The only other Indians to accomplish a quadruple double, so to speak, are in 1946 and Sandy Alomar Jr. in 1997.

A few facts about the game Sept. 26, 1956:

* Score went the distance, striking out 12 while gaining his 20th win on the year. He actually was the third Indians pitcher that season to earn 20 wins, along with and .

* Lopez would go on to become the first black manager in Class AAA when he managed Buffalo in 1969.

* 's coverage of the game included Score's overall strikeouts in his first two seasons but did not mention the 500 milestone specifically. Instead, it focused on Wertz, who went 5-5 with five RBIs.

* An abysmal 3,630 fans showed up at for the game. It's not as if it were a frigid night at the ballpark; temperatures that day ranged from a high of 66 degrees to a low of 47, and the team would finish in second place in the American League.

Score's career would be hampered severely by an eye injury the following season. He spent the first five of his eight Major League seasons with the Indians, and racked up 742 strikeouts in a Tribe uniform.

If you go to any of the Indians' remaining regular-season games - the team starts a six-game homestand Tuesday - check out the historical photos and captions along the wall behind sections 109 and 111.

Cleveland Indians secure home field advantage in 2017 American League Division Series By Joe Noga, [email protected] CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Indians did not play on Monday, but managed to secure home field advantage in the American League Division series by virtue of Boston's 6-4 loss to Toronto.

With Boston's loss, the Indians (98-58) can drop no lower than the No. 2 seed in the American League, regardless of the outcome of their final six games of the regular season.

While the top seed in the American League is yet to be decided, Cleveland knows it will host games 1 and 2 of the ALDS on Oct. 5 and 6 and potentially Game 5 on Oct. 11. Tickets for ALDS games at Progressive Field go on sale to the public Friday at 10 a.m.

The Tribe leads Houston by 2 1/2 games for the AL's best record, with a magic number of 4 to clinch that position entering the final six games. Any combination of Indians wins and/or Houston losses that equals four will settle that race.

Cleveland clinched its second-consecutive Division title on Sep. 17, and has won 29 of its last 31 games, including an AL-record 22 straight victories from Aug. 24-Sep. 14.

Entering the final two series of the regular season, the Indians trail the by one game for the best record in . The league champion with the best overall record will claim home field advantage in the World Series, beginning Oct. 24.

Cleveland Indians' Mike Clevinger trades 7-inning chess match for playoff adrenaline rush of bullpen By Paul Hoynes, [email protected] CLEVELAND, Ohio - Mike Clevinger was already working through it it in his head. The preparation, the video work, the analysis of scouting reports. The gradual tightening of tension, like a boxer approaching the final days of heavy training before a championship fight. Clevinger calls it the seven-inning chess game, but over the weekend in Seattle he heard checkmate from manager Terry Francona.

Clevinger will open the American League Division Series in the bullpen. The Indians will go with a four-man rotation in the best of five series that begins on Oct. 5. Right now that rotation appears to be Corey Kluber (18-4, 2.27), Carlos Carrasco (17-6, 3.43), Trevor Bauer (16-9, 4.28) and Josh Tomlin (9-9, 4.98). The Indians could flip-flop Carrasco and Bauer should they win home field advantage because Carrasco has been so good (11-2, 2.65) on the road. Meanwhile, Clevinger will take his 11-5 record to the bullpen. He has a 3.13 ERA and has won his last five starts while allowed two earned runs in 29 2/3 innings.

Clevinger said the right things.

Was the move surprising?

"I wouldn't say surprising," he said. "I knew I have versatility in going both ways. We have a lot of good arms. I trust what he (Francona) sees and go with it."

Is he ready for the challenge?

"I'm ready for the task," said Clevinger. "I've been there before, so it's not going to be too much of an adjustment, just get the routine down pat, shorten it up, shorten up the weighted ball stuff, stuff like that."

Francona said the right things as well. "He's not been banished to the bullpen," said Francona. "He's been sent there to help us win, and he understands why. When we get into a playoff series, we value the innings of our bullpen."

Clevinger pitched out of the pen last year during the regular season and postseason. He's made three relief appearances this year along with 21 starts.

"We plan on using him as a weapon, just like Bryan Shaw, Cody Allen and Andrew Miller," said Francona. "There's a reason we did it. Now, nobody has a crystal ball, but that's the reasoning."

It's hard to argue with Francona, especially based on how he used the bullpen in the postseason last year. Next to Kluber, Miller threw the most innings of any Tribe pitcher through 15 postseason games. But Francona was forced to do that because of injuries to Carrasco, Danny Salazar and Bauer. Now he has a rotation so deep that he can afford to put an 11-game winner in the bullpen.

In that regard, it probably did catch Clevinger a bit off guard. And yes, the thought of starting Game 4 was rolling around in his mind.

"You can't not think about it, but it wasn't so much as, 'Where am I going to fall?'" said Clevinger. "It was more so, 'What am I going to do once I get the ball for that playoff start?' I was preparing for a playoff start, but this could be just as vital of a role, if not more vital than what I do if I potentially threw Game 4, or maybe not even throw Game 4. I guess we'll see how it plays out."

The Indians lost the World Series last year in Game 7 to the Cubs, but Miller was still the story of the series. So was Francona's use of him.

Could Clevinger be Miller 2? Miller has been battling a sore right knee for much of the season. It put him on the disabled list twice in August. With six games left, he is still trying to make sure all his bells and whistles are working.

Meanwhile, Clevinger is stretched out and rolling. It would be no problem for him to go between one and three innings if a starter runs into trouble. He could matchup as well with right-handers hitting just .174 (45-for-258) against him. Clevinger has worked hard to smooth his mechanics and approach as he has evolved as a starter. Part of that has been slowing his internal motor down. There is less concern about that pitching out of the bullpen. It suits his personality.

"That's the cool part about the bullpen, is that adrenaline rush that you get when the phone rings," said Clevinger. "It's the part about being out there that I do like. But I will miss the seven-inning chess game. It's what I fell in love with in the beginning of pitching. I'm still going to miss that, but that adrenaline rush, it's not a second to that, really."

Francona has not said that's Tomlin will be the fourth starter, but when asked how he would handle the pitching in the last six games of the season, he said Tomlin needed to start the season finale on Sunday. That would put him in line for a Game 4 start.

Why Tomlin over Clevinger? Tomlin has pitched out of the bullpen, but not as well or as recently as Clevinger. He's also proved himself last postseason when Kluber and he were the only healthy starters.

One more thing, Francona knows Tomlin will throw strikes. He's struck out 100 (6.82 per nine innings) and walked 14 (0.95 per nine innings) in 132 innings this season. He might get beat, but the opposition will have to hit him to beat him. Clevinger has 133 strikeouts (10.14 per nine innings) and 58 walks (4.42 per nine innings) in 118 innings. But what if Clevinger can bail Tomlin or another starter out of trouble in the ALDS? That way everyone wins, most of all the Indians.

How Tony Gwynn helped pave Greg Allen’s path to the big leagues with the Indians by Zack Meisel SEATTLE — Greg Allen remembers the first team meeting before his freshman season at San Diego State in 2012.

The guy speaking to the team had 15 All-Star Game nods and eight National League batting titles to his name. He was a revered figure in town, and Allen, a San Diego native, had long dreamed about studying under him.

During his three years in college, Allen played for Tony Gwynn, the first-ballot Hall of Famer who recorded 3,141 hits, five Gold Glove Awards and a .338 average during his 20-year career with the Padres.

“With him being Mr. San Diego and me growing up in San Diego and playing baseball, if you didn’t know the name Tony Gwynn, you probably did something wrong,” Allen told The Athletic.

When Allen jogged out of the to pinch-run for Lonnie Chisenhall for his major-league debut on Sept. 1, he could hear Gwynn’s voice telling him to slow everything down and take in the moment. The 24-year-old had joined the Indians that morning after receiving a promotion from Double-A Akron, a considerable jump into the thick of a pennant chase. His team was riding a nice, little winning streak that would eventually stretch into a historic one.

And here he was at first base, wearing an actual big-league uniform, playing in front of tens of thousands of people in this massive venue in a major city and the Indians had already struck for five runs in the inning and were threatening for more and he didn't want to be the one to screw things up or to make a costly rookie mistake or a bad first impression, especially in front of all of these people, and his parents were probably watching at home and they must be just as nervous and – just slow everything down. Take in the moment. Listen to your old coach.

“All right, wait,” Gwynn would tell him. “Just calm down a little bit and process everything.”

Allen remembers watching on TV as Gwynn would slap base hits all over Qualcomm Stadium. He recalls playing as the right fielder on his Nintendo 64 video game. When Allen was in little league, his team attended a San Diego State game and Gwynn signed a few of his personal items.

“Little did I know that several years later, I’d be there playing for him,” Allen said. “When I really step back and think about it, it’s pretty surreal how it all worked out.”

Allen estimates that he had at least 40 friends and family members in attendance during the Indians’ series in Anaheim last week. His parents made the 90-minute trek for all three games, their first view of their son as a big-leaguer.

Five years ago, he was a nervous, aspiring outfielder giddy at the thought of playing for a Hall of Famer.

“You definitely have that starstruck factor when first coming in,” Allen said. “He’s talking to the team and you’re in awe.”

But this was precisely why Allen became an Aztec. Well, Gwynn’s presence and the chance for to remain near his family.

“If you wanted to get pointers from a hitter, it seems like a pretty good way to go,” quipped Tribe manager Terry Francona. Gwynn never faced another pitcher more often than Greg Maddux, whom he tagged for a .415/.476/.521 slash line, with zero strikeouts in 107 encounters. And yet, Allen said, Gwynn had no trouble relating to the struggles of a college kid traversing the peaks and valleys of the game.

“He was one of the most humble human beings I’ve met, as far as his ability to relate to the players,” Allen said. “He was down to Earth. He was never someone you felt like you couldn’t come to. He would understand what it was like to struggle.

“He was so successful at what he did, and a lot of that came from the work ethic, the amount of preparation he put in, his diligence to his craft. I think that’s the message we take from him: not so much things coming easy, but the amount of work that it takes to be good at something and the patience it takes.”

After a battle with cancer, Gwynn died on June 16, 2014, just 10 days after the Indians selected Allen in the sixth round of the amateur draft. His mom barged into his room and relayed the news to him as he was waking up. He had signed with the Indians two days earlier and was finalizing plans to fly out to Ohio to join the short-season Mahoning Valley Scrappers.

“It was definitely a moment I’ll never forget,” Allen said. “It still saddens me to this day.”

Three years later, Allen has relied upon Gwynn’s guidance to notch a number of personal milestones.

First big-league hit? Check.

Allen singled off Myles Jaye in Detroit on Sept. 2. He received the ball and the lineup card.

First big-league ? Check.

Allen padded the Indians’ comfortable lead against the White Sox with a two-run shot at on Sept. 7, as the Indians extended their winning streak to a franchise-record 15 games. Allen received that ball as well. He said he’ll likely give both mementos to his parents.

Make the transition to a major-league clubhouse? Check.

Francona said Allen is mature “beyond his years. He’s just a wonderful kid. Hard not to like him.” And, of course, given his rookie status, Allen participated in the Indians’ costume party on the trip from Anaheim to Seattle. He dressed up as Deadpool.

With Bradley Zimmer likely lost for the season because of a broken hand, Allen has probably played more than originally anticipated. He has appeared in 20 games, and stands a chance at making the playoff roster because of his defensive prowess.

Who could have predicted that a few weeks ago, when Allen was wrapping up his season with the Akron RubberDucks? “Things move pretty fast up here, from the time you get called up to being in each city, to playing games, being at the field,” Allen said. “I’m just trying to take it one day at a time, one pitch at a time, and once the dust settles, I’ll have some time to reflect and assess the situation. For now, I’m just enjoying the ride.”

Just as Gwynn would have suggested.

Corey Kluber poised for postseason ace role | Indians playoff preview By David Glasier, The News-Herald The Indians head into the 2017 playoffs with arguably the best starting pitcher in the American League in Corey Kluber.

Kluber is 18-4 with a 2.27 ERA after the latest in a string of dominant starts.

Against the on Sept. 24, in the finale of a six-game road series, the 31-year-old right-hander gave up two runs, both unearned, on six hits. He finished with 10 strikeouts and yielded only two walks. It was the 15th time this season Kluber has posted 10 or more strikeouts in a game.

Kluber is tied with Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the most wins in baseball and is only a tick behind the L.A. standout southpaw’s major-league low 2.21 ERA. If numbers and overall performance tip the scales, Kluber would appear to be in prime position this season to win his second AL Cy Young Award, given annually to the pitcher judged to be the best in the league by a panel of voters. He took home that hardware in 2014, finishing 18- 9 with a 2.44 ERA.

>> Postseason field almost set, but home run chases providing drama

The Indians have Kluber as the ace of what the numbers say is the deepest, best starting staff in the American or National leagues.

No. 2 starter Carlos Carrasco is 17-6 with a 3.43 ERA. No. 3 starter Trevor Bauer is 16-9 with a 4.28 ERA. Those are career-high victory totals in both cases.

Mike Clevinger started the season with Triple-A Columbus and was promoted on May 7, shortly after Kluber went on the disabled list with lower back soreness. The 26-year-old right-hander pitched his way into the rotation as the No. 4 starter, going 11-5 with a 3.13 ERA.

Indians manager Terry Francona already has announced Clevinger will start the playoffs in the bullpen. Francona will go with No. 5 starter, proven veteran Josh Tomlin, as his fourth starter in the playoffs. Tomlin is 9-9 with a 4.98 ERA

When the Indians set franchise and AL records with 22 straight wins in late August and September, the starters were 19-0 with a 1.77 ERA. Kluber, Bauer and Clevinger each had four victories. Carrasco had three.

This situation stands in stark contrast to the one Francona confronted last October, when late-season injuries to Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar drastically reduced Francona’s playoff rotation options to Kluber, Tomlin and Bauer — before Bauer mangled his finger in a drone mishap before the AL Championship series against Toronto .

The Indians nearly turned that mess into a miracle, advancing to the 10th inning of Game 7 of the World Series before falling to the . They did that with Kluber and Tomlin pitching heroically while Francona artfully manipulated a cadre of relief pitchers who helped shut down Boston and Toronto in the AL playoffs. The bullpen again did yeoman’s work against the Cubs until the magic ran out in Game 7.

Again in this postseason, Kluber will be counted on to set the tone for the pitching-rich Indians in what they hope will be a successful quest for the franchise’s first World Series title since 1948.

With a 15-2 record and 1.62 ERA since he came off the disabled list on June 1, Kluber would appear to be up to that challenge.

Twins-Cleveland series preview La Velle E. Neal III THREE-GAME SERIES AT PROGRESSIVE FIELD Tuesday 6:10 p.m. • FSN, 96.3-FM RHP Bartolo Colon (6-14, 6.63 ERA) vs. RHP Josh Tomlin (9-9, 4.98) Wednesday 6:10 p.m. • FSN, 96.3-FM LHP Adalberto Mejia (4-6, 4.48) vs. RHP Danny Salazar (5-6, 4.48) Thursday 11:10 p.m. • FSN, 96.3-FM RHP Ervin Santana (16-8, 3.36) vs. RHP Carlos Carrasco (17-6, 3.43) TWINS UPDATE The Twins, 4-3 on this road trip with three losses against the Yankees followed by four victories over the Tigers, have won 43 games on the road this season, their most since 2004. They have not won 44 road games since 1991. … This has been a strange season series. The Twins are 6-10 against Cleveland —1-9 at home but 5-1 at Progressive Field. That was all before the Indians rocketed away from everyone in the division. … SS Jorge Polanco has a seven-game hitting streak. His home run Sunday was his ninth since August, after he hit three in the first four months of the season. … Santana is one win shy of tying his career high, set in 2010 with the Angels. INDIANS UPDATE Cleveland has every reason to keep pushing through to the end of the season; the best record in the AL and in all of baseball remains at stake. It has been a ridiculous run of dominance for the Indians: They are 29-2 over their past 31 games. … Cleveland, home for its final six games, finished with a 53-28 road record, the most road victories in club history. … Indications are that the Indians intend to move RHP Mike Clevinger (11-5, 3.13 ERA) to the bullpen for the postseason. … Tomlin is on a roll himself, going 5-0 with a 2.74 ERA over his past eight outings. ... SS Francisco Lindor’s 33 home runs are a team record for Indians middle infielder. Star Tribune LOADED: 09.26.2017 The turnaround Twins are closing in on a postseason clinch

By DAVE CAMPBELL

MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Twins could only watch and wince when their All-Star closer and newly acquired veteran starting pitcher were both traded in the last two days before the non-waiver deadline. Three weeks later, their best player was sidelined by an injury he still hasn't returned from. "But here we are with a week to go, and we have a chance to extend our season," manager Paul Molitor said. They have more than just a chance. After finishing 59-103 in 2016, the worst record in the major leagues, the Twins (82-74) completed a four-game weekend sweep in Detroit to push their lead for the second AL wild card spot to 4½ games ahead of the . The Twins had Monday off, while the Angels were in Chicago to play the White Sox at night. They could clinch their first postseason berth since 2010 in just a couple of days. The Twins are the 13th team in major league history, and the first since the 2009 Seattle Mariners, to go from 100-plus losses to a winning record. "We tried to put last year behind us as best we could," Molitor said. "I think guys tried to learn from it. I think some guys might have used that as a motivation. But more than anything, it was tremendous learning experience, even though it was tough to endure at the time." The front office brought about shorter-term discomfort for the players in late July, when a 1-6 finish to the month served as the trigger for separate deals that sold off ninth-inning man Brandon Kintzler and Jaime Garcia for minor-leaguers. Surges by the division rival Cleveland Indians and factored in, too. Kintzler had logged 45 saves over a season-plus as the closer. Garcia had just arrived in a trade with the , winning his only start, as a signal the Twins were targeting the playoffs. The reaction from the clubhouse was predictably disapproving, with second baseman Brian Dozier voicing the most displeasure. One week later, though, the Twins reeled off six straight wins. The back of the rotation began to stabilize. Matt Belisle gradually rebounded from some early- season struggles to effectively serve as the de facto closer. In their last 46 games since Aug. 8, the Twins have hit a best-in-baseball 80 home runs. Only three of those came from Miguel Sano, their All-Star third baseman who has not played since Aug. 19 because of a stress reaction in his left shin bone. The Twins are 20-15 without Sano, whose .870 on-base-plus-slugging percentage remains the highest on the team. He hit 28 homers with 77 RBIs in 111 games. "You can always use a Sano, but the most impressive thing one through nine is we don't have anybody who gets on base less than 30 percent of the time," Dozier said. "Everybody is getting on base. They're grinding out at-bats. The biggest thing that we've always lacked is people trying to do too much in certain situations, rather than take what the game gives to you and let the next guy do it. That's kind of been the biggest thing. If he's giving me a walk, take the walk and let the next guy be the hitter. That's how we've clicked." The Twins are on course for a wild card game next week in New York, where they were swept by the Yankees in a three-game series last week. They've had trouble beating the Yankees for 15 years, especially on the road, while being eliminated from the postseason by them in 2003, 2004, 2009 and 2010. But sometimes all it takes to win a one-game playoff is belief and a friendly bounce. "There's a lot of confidence," shortstop Jorge Polanco said. "You can see it by the games. It doesn't matter what happens in the game, we show our confidence." Star Tribune LOADED: 09.26.2017 1097571 Minnesota Twins

Twins in the driver's seat for wild-card berth entering season's final week

By La Velle E. Neal III Star Tribune

CLEVELAND – The Twins left Detroit on Sunday after a four-game sweep of the Tigers focusing on an important topic — fantasy football. But while “team owners” screamed at televisions in the visitors’ clubhouse at , third baseman Eduardo Escobar, seated at a table, wore a big grin for another reason. The Twins have nearly crossed the goal line themselves. “It’s so exciting,” Escobar said. “I’ve waited for this. This year has been an unbelievable year for the Twins.” Finally, from a team battling for an American League wild-card spot, acknowledgment they are nearly there — nearly back to the playoffs for the first time since 2010. On the verge of being the first team to lose 100 games and make the playoffs the following season. As they enter their final six games with a five-game lead for the second AL wild card, the Twins continue to mirror the approach of their even-keeled manager, Paul Molitor: Don’t let a bad loss leak into the next game. The Twins have not lost more than four consecutive games all season. While it doesn’t shield them from a collapse over what can be a topsy-turvy final week, it has been a trait that has served them well. So they let down their guard a bit Sunday, trash-talking about fantasy football after a 10-4 victory of the Tigers. The annual rookies-in-costumes road trip commenced, featuring 6-foot-10 Aaron Slegers in a Kristaps Porzingis New York Knicks uniform, and Mitch Garver, who attended the University of New Mexico, dressed up as the Lobos mascot. A large golf outing took place Monday. Bouncing back after Yankees series On Tuesday, they start a three-game series against the AL Central champion Indians — who are 16 games ahead of the Twins after winning a remarkable 29 of 31 games — in a stadium, Progressive Field, where the Twins are 5-1 this season. “We have been working hard all year,” Escobar said. “The most important thing is that everyone is together. It’s important when the team is together no matter what happens.” After being swept by the Yankees last week, the Twins’ lead in the wild-card race dwindled to 1½ games over the Angels. But Los Angeles then got swept by the Indians themselves and lost two of the three to the Astros, while the Twins took care of a Tigers team with a struggling bullpen. With the Angels losing again Monday to the White Sox, the Twins can clinch a playoff spot Tuesday if they win and Los Angeles loses at Chicago. “This has been a strong attribute that we have been able to do that,” Molitor said. “The New York series was deflating in a lot of ways, going in there and understanding you were playing against a team were trying to catch, and it didn’t go our way for three games. “Coming to Detroit, not being presumptuous about the Tigers and some of the things they are dealing with, we had to come here and pitch well and hit well and play good defense. That’s been a consistent thing.” Switching sides Derek Falvey, the Twins chief baseball officer, was in the Indians front office until the Twins hired him last fall. He could see his new team clinch a playoff spot against his old team this week. Falvey pointed out that, during his tenure in Cleveland, every time the Indians clinched was on the road. In fact, his first clinching experience was at in 2013. Now Falvey could celebrate a wild-card berth in front of his old bosses after a surge by his rebuilding team, which has seen resurgent performances by several players, especially in the second half of the season. It has happened with Escobar filling in for the injured Miguel Sano at third base. The Twins are 20-15 since the All-Star slugger last played on Aug. 19. They are batting .271 since then, with an .836 on-base-plus-slugging percentage. “One of the many lessons I learned here in Cleveland was that you shouldn’t put limitations on a group of players who bond together on a mission to do something special,” Falvey said. “Over the course of each season a culture forms in every clubhouse and ours has been fun to watch. I’ve used the word resilient a few times to describe our guys and I continue to believe that’s the best word to use.” The manager remains uncomfortable, but that’s how managers are. “Not that you want to add pressure, but it’s comfortable when you don a T-shirt and a hat and they tell you are going to play next week,” Molitor said. “That would be the moment I think we are all trying to get to but we are not there yet.” Moving ahead The players dug in at the nonwaiver trade deadline, when All-Star closer Brandon Kintzler was traded to Washington. Molitor, before an Aug. 1 game at San Diego — the day after Kintzler was dealt — wrote “No retreat, no surrender” on a whiteboard in the clubhouse. It was early August when Joe Mauer, one of baseball’s hottest hitters since, told reporters, “We’re trying to do something special here,” which was met with puzzled looks. But now the Twins are a week away from making it happen. Special? Possibly, given where they have come from. Unexpected? Definitely. Unprecedented? Absolutely. “[Five] games up with six to play,” second baseman Brian Dozier said. “Which is the first time in my career I’ve ever had that this late in a season. Everything is in our favor, the driver’s seat, which is really fun.” Star Tribune LOADED: 09.26.2017 1097572 Minnesota Twins