ALDS Game 1: Indians pound Rick Porcello, take lead over Red Sox

Boston Red Sox starter Rick Porcello didn’t look like a Cy Young contender during his first start of the 2016 postseason. The Cleveland Indians jumped all over the 22-game winner, chasing him after just 4 1/3 innings during their 5-4 win in Game 1 of the American League Division Series.

Porcello looked all right early, striking out the side in the first inning. While he allowed a run in the second, the Red Sox were able to fight back and give him a 2-1 lead entering the third.

That’s when things fell apart. Porcello gave up three solo home runs during the frame, including back-to-back jacks by Jason Kipnis and Francisco Lindor. It could have been worse, too, as Mike Napoli crushed a ball foul, and the final out of the inning was a leaping catch at the wall by Jackie Bradley Jr.

Porcello made it through the fourth unscathed, but was pulled after giving up a single and then a fly out in the fifth. The runner would eventually come around to score on a single, and Porcello was charged with another run.

All told, Porcello allowed five runs on six hits over just 4 1/3 innings. It was his shortest outing of the season.

Cleveland starter Trevor Bauer didn’t last much longer, throwing just 4 2/3 innings, but the Indians were able to get tremendous production from their relievers, particularly close Andrew Miller.

Boston did cut the lead to just one run in the eighth, but Cody Allen came in and ended the threat. He returned to the mound for the ninth and shut the door, giving Cleveland the narrow 5-4 victory.

• It’s the postseason of the closer, and Andrew Miller is here for it. Miller got the call in the fifth inning of Game 1, and proceeded to shut down the Red Sox for two innings. While he almost got himself in trouble initially, Miller was able to work out of it with a big strikeout to end the inning. He then proceeded to strike out three of the next five batters he faced. Miller gave up one hit and a walk in his two innings of work. He struck out four.

• Jason Kipnis proved to be a constant thorn in Boston’s side all night. The 29-year-old was one of the three Indians to smack a solo shot in the third inning. His blast put Cleveland ahead. He didn’t stop there, though. Kipnis would single in a run in the fifth inning, and add another single to leadoff the seventh. He finished the contest 3-for-4, with one run scored and two RBI.

• It took a lot for Indians catcher Roberto Perez to get the start in this one, but he did not disappoint. In his first-ever postseason at-bat, Perez hit a solo home run to tie things up. He also singled in the fifth and handled some excellent breaking pitches from Cleveland’s relievers. If not for a Yan Gomes injury and Jonathan Lucroy declining a trade, Perez may not have appeared in this game.

• Rick Porcello did manage six strikeouts, but that’s where the positives end. The 27-year-old had a rough go of it in Game 1, allowing five earned runs and tossing his shortest outing of the season. Based on their regular season numbers, Porcello was a legitimate choice to start Game 1 over ace David Price. Now, that’s a decision John Farrell might want to have back.

• Other than Porcello, there were no major performances that stood out. Neither Xander Bogaerts or Jackie Bradley Jr. had particularly strong days at the plate, however, combining to go 0-for-8, with six strikeouts.

Porcello’s entire third inning works here. Sure, it wasn’t a singular moment, but it absolutely changed the game. Porcello just didn’t seem to have it, giving up a solo shot to Roberto Perez to lead things off. After getting Carlos Santana to ground out, he gave up back-to-back solo home runs to Kipnis and Lindor. The Red Sox came into the inning leading by one, they left trailing by two runs. It was a big turning point for Cleveland.

It’s been a bad postseason for closers thus far, but the Indians seem likely to turn that around. Francona’s willingness to go to Miller early, and to stick with him for two innings, was a significant moment in the game. Miller rewarded Francona for the decision, turning in a great performance, and proved that managers should use their best pitchers in tight situations instead of saving them for the ninth inning. Miller probably won’t be available for Game 2, so we’ll see if Francona is willing to get creative with all his relievers, or if this new role is just limited to Miller.

There were six solo home runs hit during the contest. The three hit by the Indians made for a unique combination.

Game 2 of the series is slated for 4:30 p.m. ET Friday on TBS. David Price (17-9, 3.99) will look to even the series against Indians ace Corey Kluber (18-9, 3.14).

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik