CLEVELAND -- As the crowd at Rogers Centre unleashed a collective groan, Indians setup man Bryan Shaw walked off the mound. The pitcher pointed emphatically to catcher Roberto Perez and ran over to slap him on the backside in celebration of a critical strikeout of Kevin Pillar.
It was Perez after all who called for that 1-2 slider, which dove under Pillar's bat for a punchout, bringing an end to the fifth inning in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series. Cleveland hung on for a 3-0 victory, securing a spot in the World Series for the first time since 1997.