Cleveland Ace Would Like To Forget His Worst Outing Against Toronto In 17-1 Rout Back In July

With all of the fireworks in the park that day, one would have assumed the special event was a Fourth of July celebration. Given that the game actually took place in the Rogers Centre in Toronto, the assumption might have been that it happened on July First, known up North as Canada Day.

Instead the day fell in between those two holidays on July third, and the fireworks were ignited by the powerful bats of the Toronto Blue Jays. Their opponents then were the Cleveland Indians, whose ace Cory Kluber and several relievers experienced their worst game of the season.

The two teams meet again in the American League Championship Series, a best of seven battle to determine who captures the pennant this year. Both clubs should come in well rested after having swept their opponents in the divisional series, Toronto eliminating the Texas Rangers and Cleveland dismissing the Boston Red Sox after what would be the last game for Bean Town All-Star designated hitter and fan favorite David Ortiz or “Big Papi.”

Kluber, the reigning Cy Young Award winner, suffered that that early day in July his shortest outing of the season. He lasted just over three innings, allowing five earned runs. The Blue Jays continued to hammer the tribe long after manager Terry Francona gad lifted Kluber, ending up with a 17-1 rout of the eventual Central Division champions.

Other than that one-sided loss, Cleveland broke even in the other six head to head contests with Canada’s team. Other than the three and three record in their overall meetings, the two clubs are almost opposites.

The Indians boast a strong pitching staff led by Kluber and Trevor Bauer, while the Blue Jays have a fearsome offensive lineup anchored by first baseman Edwin Encarnacion, third baseman Josh Donaldson, right fielder Jose Bautista and shortstop Troy Tulowitski. In fact, Cleveland somewhat resembles the Kansas City Royals of 2015, who defeated a similar Toronto lineup in the A.L.C.S. en route to earning their first World Series championship in thirty years.

It has been an even longer drought for the Indians, who last won the World Series way back in 1948. Combined with the Cavaliers netting the championship for the Naional Basketball Association, a baseball crown would make Cleveland the city of the year.

Another game or two against the Blue Jays like that one back on July 3, however, would do nothing to help snap that ignominious streak of futility for the baseball team.

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