Indians sweep Red Sox, send Ortiz into retirement

(The Sports Xchange) – The Cleveland Indians completed a three-game American League Division Series sweep of the Red Sox and ended the career of David Ortiz with a 4-3 victory over Boston on Monday.

Ortiz announced his retirement last November.

He drove in a run with a sacrifice fly on Monday, but he was just 1-for-9 in the three playoff games that saw the Red Sox score just seven runs.

When the game ended, the crowd chanted “Thank You, Papi” and then “We Want Papi.”

Ortiz later came out to acknowledge the fans, and he was crying as he left the field for the final time.

The Indians, who won when Travis Shaw flied to right field with two on in the ninth inning, host the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday in the opener of the AL Championship Series.

Former Red Sox center fielder Coco Crisp, who earlier laid down a sacrifice to set up a two-run single by rookie Tyler Naquin, hit a two-run homer off reliever Drew Pomeranz to make it 4-1 in the sixth.

Right-hander Josh Tomlin, winning a head-to-head pitching battle with junior college teammate Clay Buchholz, worked five-plus innings of two-run ball and got the victory.

Andrew Miller pitched two scoreless innings. Bryan Shaw came on in the eighth, got two outs and left with a runner on.

Closer Cody Allen entered to face Ortiz and walked him on four pitches. Standing on first base, Ortiz waved for the crowd to get loud.

Hanley Ramirez then lined an RBI single, but after Ortiz left for a pinch runner, Xander Bogaerts (two hits) lined out to second to end the inning.

Allen then got the first two outs in the ninth before Jackie Bradley Jr. singled on a 3-2 pitch. Dustin Pedroia then worked out a 3-2 walk.

Shaw, however then hit a fly ball on a 3-2 pitch, sealing Allen’s second save of the series.

The Red Sox, who won the American League East, lost eight of their last nine games.

After right fielder Bogaerts misjudged Carlos Santana’s pop fly into a single to start the game, the Indians had two on and one out in the first but did not score.

They had another hit in the second and a two-out double by Lindor in the third but did not break through until the fourth.

Ramirez led off with a single and Lonnie Chisenhall walked before Crisp bunted the runners over and Naquin got a low breaking pitch and singled to right to bring home two.

The Red Sox had first and second and one out in the second but Andrew Benintendi banged into a double play.

Then, with one out in the fifth, Bogaerts collected his second single and scored when Benintendi got a fly ball to the wall in left for the double.