Gäste Forum » the right combo of feats and highlights to ear

CLEVELAND -- The last two teams standing in the American League overcame plenty of obstacles to reach the AL Championship Series, but the Toronto Blue Jays and Cleveland Indians are both playing as well now as they have all season.Two good teams. Two hot teams. It should be a good matchup, said Toronto manager John Gibbons.The two teams who will meet in Game 1 of the ALCS on Friday night at Progressive Field have not yet tasted defeat in the postseason. In the two division series, Cleveland swept Boston in three games and Toronto swept Texas in three games.It was a battle to get in, but weve been swinging it well in the last week, said Gibbons, whose team had a losing record (11-16) in September, and needed a walk-off home run in the 11th inning to beat Baltimore in the wildcard game.Clevelands 16-11 September record was the reverse of Torontos, but the Indians hardships came during the regular season. Their best hitter, Michael Brantley, missed virtually the entire season with a shoulder injury. Starting catcher Yan Gomes missed 2 1/2 months with a separated shoulder, and the Nos. 2 and 3 starters in their rotation, Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar, suffered season-ending injuries in September.They took a couple of big blows, a couple of big injuries, and they just kept on trucking, Gibbons said.Losing two starters like that late is tough, but I think we have enough good players to win. Weve just got to play good baseball, Indians manager Terry Francona said.The Indians, however, still have their No.1 starter, Corey Kluber, rested and ready to start Game 1. Kluber, a Cy Young Award candidate, was 18-9 with a 3.14 ERA in the regular season. He pitched seven scoreless innings on three hits in a 6-0 win over the Red Sox in Game 2 of the Division Series.We expect him to be good and stingy, said Gibbons. You never enjoy facing him, thats for sure.Kluber has struggled in his career vs. Toronto. In one start against the Blue Jays this year he gave up five runs in 3 1/3 innings in what became a 17-1 loss. In five career starts against the Blue Jays Kluber is 1/3 with a 5.34 ERA.Gibbons has no explanation for his teams success against Kluber. Theres a lot of things that happen in this game that you dont know why, he said.Marco Estrada, Torontos Game 1 starter, was 9-9 with a 3.48 ERA in the regular season, but he came up big in Game 1 of the Division Series vs. Texas. Estrada allowed one run on four hits in 8 1/3 innings in a 10-1 Blue Jays victory. In one start against Cleveland this year Estrada got the win in a 9-6 Toronto victory, pitching five innings and allowing three runs on four hits.Estrada said hes hopeful the Blue Jays can use the momentum they gained during the sweep of Texas in the Division Series to good advantage in the ALCS.Its all about timing. Thats usually the way it works, he said. The best team doesnt always win, but I think the hottest team is usually the one that takes it all.Francona knows his pitching staff faces a big challenge in trying to control Torontos power-packed lineup.You dont run down the hall to face their hitters, Francona said.They have a solid lineup, one through nine, said Kluber. They are all good hitters, with a lot of power, but theyre also patient. So youve got to execute your pitches. There is no magic formula.Stitched NHL Jerseys . Klitschkos management company says the bout will be the Ukrainian fighters 25th world championship fight. The 1.83-meter (6-foot) Leapai defeated the previously unbeaten Denis Boytsov in November to become the WBOs mandatory challenger. Fake Adidas NHL Jerseys . Pettersen, winner of last years Evian Championships, had nine birdies and three bogeys, holding off a series of challengers led by Marion Ricordeau of France. 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He finished a disappointing campaign just 14-13 with a career-worst 4.A panel of ESPN baseball experts is forecasting Washington Nationals starter Max Scherzer to comfortably win the NL Cy Young. In the AL, the voting was much tighter, with Rick Porcello, Corey Kluber and Justin Verlander all getting significant support. Which one will win when the honors are announced Wednesday between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET?We had 27 experts pick who they think will win each award. The voting breakdown for the awards is listed below, as well as the votes of our experts.Who will win the AL Cy Young Award?1. Rick Porcello Boston Red Sox VOTES: 11After a disastrous first season in Boston, Porcello bounced back, going 22-4 with a 3.15 ERA in 2016. He finished in the top five in the AL in ERA (5th at 3.15), WHIP (2nd at 1.01), innings pitched (4th at 223) and WAR (5th at 5.0).2. Corey Kluber Cleveland Indians VOTES: 9With injuries to Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar, the Indians needed Kluber to be an ace in 2016, and he was. Kluber finished 18-9 and inside the top five in strikeouts (5th with 227), ERA (4th at 3.14) and WAR (2nd at 6.5).3. Justin Verlander Detroit Tigers VOTES: 7Verlander had his best season since 2012, posting an AL-best WHIP of 1.00 and finishing 16-9. He also led AL pitchers in WAR (6.6) and strikeouts (254), and was second in ERA (3.04).Who will win the NL Cy Young Award?1. Max Scherzer Washington Nationals VOTES: 20If you want league-leading numbers, Scherzer has them, as hhe topped the NL in wins (20), starts (34), innings (228 ?) and the majors in Ks with 284.dddddddddddd Add his record-tying 20-strikeout game on May 11 (against his old team, the Tigers), and youd think Scherzer has the right combo of feats and highlights to earn his second Cy Young Award -- which would make him the sixth pitcher to win it both leagues (joining Roger Clemens, Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, Gaylord Perry and Roy Halladay).2. Jon Lester Chicago Cubs VOTES: 4The Cubs veteran lefty was second to Scherzer in wins, second to Hendricks in ERA and third in the NL in OPS against. In that sense, Lesters case is a combination of some of the merits of the other two, without being as strong, but perhaps his best talking point was being the No. 1 starter on the best team in the league, leading the Cubs in starts and innings pitched.3. Kyle Hendricks Chicago Cubs VOTES: 3Hendricks did more than provide hope for finesse right-handers with a 16-win season. He dominated in 2016, winning the MLB ERA title with the best single-season mark (2.13) by anybody not named Kershaw, Greinke or Arrieta in the past 10 years. Add in his MLB-best 188 ERA+, lowest OPS against (.583) and lowest well-hit average allowed (.089) among ERA title qualifiers, and he clearly belongs in the conversation. ' ' '