MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYOFFS: ALDS

So long Sox, Papi

Indians complete sweep, head to ALCS

Cleveland catcher Roberto Perez (left) and relief pitcher Cody Allen react after the Indians advanced to the American League Championship Series for the first time since 2007 by beating Boston 4-3 on Monday to complete a 3-0 sweep in their American League division series.
Cleveland catcher Roberto Perez (left) and relief pitcher Cody Allen react after the Indians advanced to the American League Championship Series for the first time since 2007 by beating Boston 4-3 on Monday to complete a 3-0 sweep in their American League division series.

BOSTON -- The ball settled into the right fielder's glove, the Cleveland Indians poured onto the diamond and the Fenway Park fans fell silent.

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AP

Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts slides safely into home past Cleveland Indians catcher Roberto Perez on a double by former Arkansas Razorback Andrew Benintendi during the fifth inning of Game 3 of the Red Sox’s American League Division Series in Boston. Cleveland won 4-3 to advance to the American League Championship Series.

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AP

The Cleveland Indians celebrate their 4-3 win over the Boston Red Sox in Game 3 of baseball’s American League Division Series on Monday in Boston.

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AP

Boston Red Sox’s David Ortiz stands on the mound at Fenway Park on Monday after Game 3 of baseball’s American League Division Series against the Cleveland Indians in Boston.

Then slowly from the crowd rose a chant of "Pa-pi!"

Cleveland swept the Boston Red Sox out of the postseason and sent David Ortiz into retirement on Monday night with a 4-3 victory that completed a three-game American League division series sweep. But even as the Indians frolicked on the field in their celebratory hats and T-shirts, Boston fans weren't ready to let their beloved Big Papi go.

"I'm glad he didn't get a hit to beat us," Manager Terry Francona said after leading the Indians to the franchise's second postseason sweep ever. "I thought it was an honor to be on the field, competing against him in his last game, because he's truly one of the best. You could tell the way people were hanging around yelling his name and everything. He deserves every bit of that."

Coco Crisp hit a two-run home run, closer Cody Allen got four outs and the Indians advanced the AL Championship Series for the first time since 2007. That year, they took a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series against Boston before losing three in a row.

Cleveland also blew a 2-0 lead against Boston in the best-of-five round in 1999.

But this year there would be no fold.

The Indians shut down Ortiz and the most prolific offense in the league. Rookie Tyler Naquin delivered a two-run single and Josh Tomlin pitched five strong innings for the Indians, who will open the ALCS at home against Toronto on Friday.

Cleveland went 4-3 this year against the wild-card Blue Jays, who swept AL West champion Texas to reach the ALCS for the second consecutive year.

"Nobody in this clubhouse doubts what we're what capable of," reliever Andrew Miller said as music blared and corks popped in the visitors' clubhouse. "I think we saw in our games in Cleveland how much support we have. It's a special place to be. I think we have bigger things ahead of us, but it's not going to be any easier."

To advance, the Indians had to shut down the most prolific offense in the major leagues and weather the emotional farewell to Ortiz. The Red Sox designated hitter went 1 for 9 in the series, collecting a sacrifice fly in Game 3 before walking on four pitches in his final plate appearance.

Ortiz was lifted for a pinch runner in the eighth and left to a standing ovation.

But that wasn't enough for the crowd of 39,530 -- the largest at Fenway since at least World War II. Chanting "We're not leaving!" and "Thank you, Pa-pi!" for more than 10 minutes while the Indians celebrated their victory, the crowd finally drew the beloved slugger back onto the field.

Wearing a red warmup jacket and a scowl on his face, Ortiz lumbered out to the mound and tipped his cap in all directions, tapping his heart. Only when the camera zoomed in on him did it become apparent that the frown was not regret over an early postseason exit: Big Papi was crying.

"Tonight when I walked to the mound, I realized that it was over. It was pretty much probably the last time as a player to walk in front of a crowd," Ortiz told reporters afterward. "And the emotion came back out again."

After two minutes, Ortiz retired to the dugout and retired for good, ending to a career that brought three World Series titles to Boston and transformed the once-futile franchise into winners.

"I'm happy, not just for me, not just how my career went down, but for the organization, the step that we took, from going from last place to win the division this year," he told reporters. "Even if things didn't end up the way we were looking for ... it's like going from bad to good, from day to night."

Making it their goal to send their beloved Big Papi out as a winner, the Red Sox managed to win the AL East -- the second time in four seasons they went from worst to first.

Boston raised fans' hopes with an 11-game winning streak in September but then lost eight of its last nine games, including the playoffs. After winning the first two games in the best-of-five AL division series, and then waiting an extra day because of Sunday's rainout, the Indians it took a 2-0 lead off Clay Buchholz in the fourth inning on Naquin's single.

Tomlin gave up Andrew Benintendi's Green Monster-scraping RBI double in the fifth, which gave some life to the Fenway crowd.

But with one run in, one out, one on and the fans taunting the Indians starter -- "Tom-lin! Tom-lin!" -- he struck out Sandy Leon on a pitch in the dirt and then Jackie Bradley Jr. grounded out to first. In the sixth, Crisp hit a two-run home run over the left-field wall to make it 4-1.

Buchholz allowed 2 runs and 6 hits in 4 innings, joining David Price and Rick Porcello as postseason losers.

Tomlin allowed 2 runs on 4 hits in 5-plus innings. Miller pitched two innings, Bryan Shaw got two outs and Allen came on to face Ortiz with two out and a man on first in the eighth.

After walking on four pitches, Ortiz stood on first and waved his arms at the mostly dormant crowd. The fans rose to cheer for him and stayed there as Hanley Ramirez singled to make it 4-3.

Now representing the tying run at second, Ortiz was lifted for pinch-runner Marco Hernandez, leaving the field to a raucous cheer. But even after coming out of the game, his work wasn't done: With one foot on the top step of the dugout, he continued to cheer the team on.

Xander Bogaerts hit a hard line drive to second and Ortiz jumped onto the dirt, only to turn around and walk dejectedly back into the dugout when it was caught for the last out.

In the ninth, Jackie Bradley Jr. singled with two out and Dustin Pedroia drew a walk on a 3-2 pitch. Travis Shaw worked the count full before popping up to end it.

"I was cheering so bad," Ortiz said. "Once I got out of the game, I was screaming at my team to put me back in it. Make me wear this uniform one more day. Because I wasn't ready to be over with the playoff."

Sports on 10/11/2016

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