CLEVELAND _ For nearly seven innings, he dodged, ducked, dipped, dived and dodged. For seven innings, Corey Kluber did what aces do.
On a night he didn't have his best stuff, on a night he struggled to put hitters away, Kluber masterfully danced in and out of trouble and shut out the Blue Jays just long enough to give the Indians a 1-0 series lead in this American League Championship Series.
How rare is that? The Indians had never before won Game 1 of an ALCS. All of those mighty teams in the 1990s started in an early hole behind guys like Dennis Martinez, Chad Ogea, Jaret Wright and CC Sabathia. In order for this wounded team to topple the mighty Jays and return to their first World Series in 19 years, they'll have to rely heavily on Kluber.
So far, so good.
On the same day their No. 2 starter fell victim to a drone strike, the Indians desperately needed this from their last remaining rifleman. All six of the hits Kluber allowed Friday came with two strikes, including three after he jumped ahead 0-2. But a Blue Jays lineup that pounded out 10 home runs through their first four postseason games _ all wins _ couldn't square up Kluber.
The Jays ranked third in the American League in home runs during the regular season. They homered in all seven games this season against the Indians. But aside from a first-inning missile off the bat of Edwin Encarnacion that nearly went through the wall in right-center field, Kluber kept the Jays off-balance and allowed the Indians to beat them at their own game _ with a home run.
What happens next is anyone's guess. Trevor Bauer was supposed to start in Game 2, but his right hand is stitched and bandaged now after he sliced his right pinkie finger so badly on a drone that he needed 10 stitches to close the gash. Not two or three, but 10.
Indians manager Terry Francona insisted Friday that Bauer will be fine by the time the Indians need him Monday, that they have one of the best hand doctors in the world on the case in Dr. Thomas Graham _ and Graham's task might be as daunting as Kluber's was Friday.
Bauer obviously can't wear a bandage on his pitching hand Monday, nor can he pitch if the stitches start to bleed. Who's to say he doesn't start bleeding after 10 pitches Monday? Or 20? Or 30? Then what?
That's what made Kluber's dazzling performance so critical Friday. The Indians needed him to go deep in the game to save a bullpen that surely will be called upon heavily the next few days.
After Encarnacion's double put Jays at second and third with one out to start the game, Kluber fought back to strike out Jose Bautista on a curve that started at his waist and ended at his feet. He induced a harmless ground ball out of Russell Martin, and the first of a few terrific scoring opportunities for the Blue Jays harmlessly faded away.
At times, it felt as if there were more Canadians on the bases than in the stands _ and a fair number made the short trek down for the weekend. The Jays had base runners in each of the first four innings, but Kluber never wavered, even growing stronger as the night progressed. He didn't retire the side in order until the fifth, yet at one point set down seven in a row between the fourth and sixth innings.
He departed after his 100th pitch, a weak ground ball to short for the first out of the seventh inning. After 61/3 scoreless innings, running his postseason scoreless streak to 131/3 innings to start his career, Francona went to Andrew Miller, who recorded all five of his outs on strikeouts. Miller threw 31 pitches, which makes it questionable how long he can go in Game 2 on Saturday, but that's a worry for another day.
With the status of this pitching staff, Francona has taken to managing every game as if it's a Game 7. So far, it's working. A pitching staff now literally stitched together continues to defy all the odds.
"You play every game, I think, like it's your last," Francona said.
The Indians don't have to worry about that right now. Kluber dodged, ducked, dipped and dived long enough to ensure there is plenty of fight left in this wounded team.
