CLEVELAND — Everything the Cleveland Indians could have asked for was at their disposal Saturday, except their intended starting pitcher, Trevor Bauer.
There were 37,870 fans — including LeBron James and some of his Cavaliers teammates, and the former Indian Kenny Lofton — at a sold-out Progressive Field on a perfect autumn afternoon. Cleveland’s elite bullpen was ready to go to work. And Francisco Lindor, the Indians’ 22-year-old spark-plug shortstop, was batting third.
Even if the formula required swapping ingredients — Josh Tomlin for Bauer, who was scratched from his start because of an injured pinkie — it propelled the Indians to a crisp 2-1 victory over the slumping Toronto Blue Jays in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series, less than 24 hours after Cleveland’s shutout win in Game 1 of the best-of-seven series.