Round #1 - CLE(8) sweeps BAL(9) in 3

Baltimore bats fell silent as Cleveland pitching dominates this series.  Brief writeup below:

Game 1  Cleveland 2 Baltimore 0
Progressive Field
Tillman vs Kluber

Corey Kluber holds Baltimore to 6 hits over 7 innings, including 9 Ks (Baltimore strikes out 13 times for the game).  Tillman kept pace for 5 innings as neither team could break through until Cleveland scored twice in the bottom of the 6th for all the scoring in this one.  Baltimore slugger Adam Jones goes 0-4 with 4 Ks.  Baltimore 3-4-5 hitters goes 1 for 12 with 10 Ks and 6 LOBs. 

Game 2 Cleveland 2 Baltimore 1
Progressive Field
Chen vs Salazar

Baltimore finally breaks through for a 1 run lead in the top of the third on an Adam Jones

RBI  single.  That would be the end of the offensive day for Baltimore as Salazar shuts down the O's, recording 7 Ks (eventually O's would srtike out ONLY 12 times in this one.).  Cleveland SS Francisco Lindor (who came in 2nd in AL-ROY voting) recorded three great plays in this one to help hold Baltimore down. Amonte drove in the game winner in the bottom of the 7th taking advantage of Gerrardo Parra's weak right arm in left field to drive in Lindnor with two out from 2nd base.

Game 3 Cleveland 13 Baltimore 2
Camden Yards
Carrasco vs. Jimenez

Jimenez breaks down early yielding 5 runs to Cleveland in the top of the 2nd inning and three more in the third.  A series of Baltimore relief pitchers then gives up 5 more in the seventh to mercifully end this series.  Baltimore strikes out 6 more times in this one and ends the tourney below the Mendoza line as a team (.179!)  JJ Hardy lead the power hitters from Baltimore with Baltimore's only HR of the series after this one was well out of reach.  Once again the 3-4-5 hitters for Baltimore fail to deliver, going 1-10.

Thanks to Jim for getting this in early (not the early exit though LOL:-).  Well played throughout on his side of the diamond as Cleveland clearly outperformed Baltimore in all phases of the game!

Good luck to all the rest of the way!  When does KOD 23 start Marc? LOL

Mark Nixon
Baltimore