TORONTO -- For the Cleveland Indians, the script was the same every game -- hope for the best from whoever they started, then count on Andrew Miller and the bullpen to close it out.That plan seemed especially dicey in Game 5 of the AL Championship Series, with lightly used Ryan Merritt on the mound.But out of nowhere, the rookie delivered.Merritt coolly kept the Indians ahead until reinforcements arrived, and Cleveland earned its first trip to the World Series since 1997 by blanking the Toronto Blue Jays 3-0 Wednesday.The 24-year-old lefty defied expectations, shutting down the powerful Blue Jays before exiting in the fifth inning. Thanks to a most unlikely pitching performance, a most unexpected team won the ALCS 4-1.Cleveland, which has never hosted a World Series opener, will play Game 1 at Progressive Field on Tuesday night against the Chicago Cubs or Los Angeles Dodgers.Manager Terry Franconas team will try to augment whats already been a scintillating year in Cleveland after LeBron James and the Cavaliers earned the citys first major pro sports championship since 1964.The Indians title drought dates to 1948. In 1997, they let a one-run lead get away in the bottom of the ninth inning in Game 7 and lost to the Florida Marlins in the 11th.We always said if we could do it with this group it would be so special because this is as close to a family feel as you can get in a professional setting. So for that part of it, it is beyond feeling good, Francona said.The Dodgers led the Cubs 2-1 going into Game 4 of the NLCS on Wednesday night. Cleveland didnt play either club this season.Miller, acquired from the New York Yankees in a midseason trade, was selected the ALCS MVP as the Indians took their sixth pennant.I feel like Ive said the word `special a million times in the last 20 or 30 minutes. But its the truth. Its a blast to be a part of, Miller said.With all of 11 major league innings under his belt -- and only one start, on Sept. 30 -- Merritt took the mound and looked just like a seasoned vet . The lefty retired the first 10 batters and allowed a mere two hits before being pulled after 4 1/3 innings.I know they were counting on me, Merritt said. Before the game, they came and told me they had my back, everybody had my back, good or bad. So that takes some pressure off, and I just went out there and pitched and trusted my team.Merritt got taps on his heart and hat from teammates when he left the mound. Then it was up to Clevelands tireless relievers to hold a three-run lead against the wild-card Blue Jays.Miller again did most of the heavy lifting, going 2 2/3 innings before Cody Allen worked the ninth for a save . Winning pitcher Bryan Shaw tossed an inning before Miller came in.Carlos Santana and Coco Crisp homered for the Indians.With starting pitchers Carlos Carrasco, Danny Salazar and Trevor Bauer dealing with injuries, the Indians kept defying the odds.Cleveland overtook defending World Series champion Kansas City and topped a $196 million Detroit team to win the AL Central, then put an abrupt end to Big Papis career, sweeping David Ortiz and the Boston Red Sox in the Division Series.The Indians stayed on a roll in the ALCS, shutting down the banging Blue Jays. Cleveland won despite hitting .168 in the series, with slick-fielding shortstop Francisco Lindor leading the way in going 7 for 19.Toronto lost in the ALCS for the second straight year.Im sure there will be some disappointments and grumbling and complaining about how you fell short again, but thats not coming from me, manager John Gibbons said. Because I know what these guys did, and I think its a pretty good accomplishment. The key is we want to take that next step one of these days. Hopefully, its next year.Merritt -- a Texas native drafted in the 16th round by Cleveland in 2011 -- hadnt pitched in a game since his late September start, although hed gotten some work in this month in the instructional league at the Indians spring training complex in Arizona.A day after Toronto averted a sweep, the crowd at the roaring Rogers Centre expected the Blue Jays to roll over the rookie.Maybe the Blue Jays did, too.With our experience in our lineup, Im pretty sure hes going to be shaking in his boots more than we are, Toronto slugger Jose Bautista said after Game 4.After the Blue Jays were eliminated, Bautista took a different tone.He seemed to make the right pitches at the right time, Bautista said. Hats off to him.After the game, Cleveland players chanted boots in the celebration, urging Merritt to pull cowboy boots from his locker and shake them.Merritt struck out three batters in the first two innings -- all looking -- and didnt allow a baserunner until Josh Donaldsons one-out single in the fourth. After Russell Martins bloop single with one out in the fifth, Francona leaned again on a bullpen that soaked up 8 1/3 innings in a Game 3 win Monday.Shaw pitched an inning, and Miller came on with one out in the sixth and a runner on. Donaldson bounced into a double play on Millers first pitch, and the tall lefty made it through the seventh and eighth with little trouble before giving way to Allen.Cleveland took a 1-0 lead in the first when Mike Napoli doubled and left fielder Ezequiel Carrera misplayed the ball off the wall for an error. Lindor scored from first on the play.Santana and Crisp added solo shots in the third and fourth off Toronto starter Marco Estrada to put the AL Central champions up 3-0.PRECEDENTMerritt was the second pitcher to start a postseason game with only one previous regular-season start. Matt Moore of Tampa Bay did it in 2011 in Game 1 of the Division Series against Texas. Moore pitched seven scoreless innings that day.CLEVELAND KINJames posted video on his Instagram account of him and the Cavs watching the games final out at a crowded Cleveland sports bar. James, Tristan Thompson, J.R. Smith and others were gathered around a table by the front door, with fans pouring out into the street to watch.TRAINERS ROOMIndians: Francona said before the game that Bauer was supposed to have his lacerated right pinkie looked at by a doctor again. The idea was to see if the right-hander could potentially pitch out of the bullpen at all during this series after being lifted when he was bleeding in the first inning of Game 3.Now the question is whether Bauer can be of any help in the World Series.Obviously, he needs to heal, but he cant just not throw, Francona said.Bauer sliced his pinkie last week repairing one of the drones he enjoys flying as a hobby. During the boozy clubhouse celebration after Game 5, Bauer had his right arm wrapped in protective plastic.UP NEXTIndians: Cleveland returns home and rests up for the World Series.Blue Jays: Toronto faces an uncertain offseason. Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and Michael Saunders are in the final year of their contracts.---Follow Noah Trister at www.Twitter.com/noahtrister Cheap Jordan 4 . -- New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis is retiring after a 16-year career to become the goalie coach for the Los Angeles Galaxy. Cheap Air Jordan 4 Clearance . The players spoke Jan. 13 during a Major League Baseball Players Association conference call after Rodriguez sued the union and Major League Baseball to overturn an arbitrators decision suspending him for the 2014 season and post-season. http://www.cheapairjordan4.com/ . -- Its been a long road back for Sean Bergenheim. Wholesale Air Jordan 4 . The Brazilian goalkeeper signed a loan deal with the Major League Soccer club on Friday as he looks to get playing time ahead of this summers World Cup in his home country. Wholesale Jordan 4 From China . Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek defeated Nenad Zimonjic and Ilija Bozoljac 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (4) on the indoor hard-court at Belgrade Arena. The victory improved the Czech pairs impressive cup doubles record to 14-1. Even when youre a fan of one specific major league baseball team, it can be difficult to keep track of all of the news that surrounds your favorite club on a daily basis.However, when youre a fantasy baseball owner and you now have to multiply that effort by 30 in order to be as up to date as possible with each and every club? Its a fools errand that borders on the impossible.Fear not! Well be here each and every Monday to give you a snapshot of whats going on in the world of baseball, with one fantasy takeaway from each of the leagues 30 teams. Think of it as your one-stop shop for the week ahead.Here are the takeaways for this week, as the second week of August gets underway:Arizona Diamondbacks: Zack Greinke (left oblique) is finally ready to be activated from the disabled list and will make his first start since June 28 on Tuesday against the Mets. His last rehab start didnt go well on the scoreboard, as the pitcher allowed five runs in five innings for Triple-A Reno last Wednesday. However, Greinke deemed the 86-pitch outing a complete success from a physical standpoint.Atlanta Braves: Dont look now, but Ender Inciarte has an 18-game hitting streak working. The left fielder has been one of the hottest outfielders in the game in the second half of the season, with a .376 batting average -- behind only Kansas Citys Paulo Orlando (minimum 50 at-bats). Yet inexplicably, hes owned in just 18 percent of ESPN standard leagues.Baltimore Orioles: Its not exactly a Colin Rea situation here, but Steve Pearce, acquired by the Os at last Mondays deadline, had to leave Sundays game with an elbow strain after making a throw from right field. Pearce said he had been dealing with the injury all year, but it hadnt been a major issue when he played in the infield for Tampa Bay. He received a cortisone shot and is hopeful hell be ready to return to action by the end of the week.Boston Red Sox: Dont be surprised to see Mookie Betts dropped down to No. 3 in the Red Sox order this week. Manager John Farrell is pondering juggling his lineup to drop Betts down to third in order to capitalize on his ridiculous .369 batting average with runners in scoring position. If Farrell makes the move, Dustin Pedroia would be elevated to the leadoff spot. Pedroia has hit into 19 double plays this season, the second-highest total in baseball.Chicago Cubs: The return of Jorge Soler to the Cubs lineup this weekend was a triumphant one, as the slugger hit two home runs and drove in runs in all three games in Oakland. However, the real question of how much Soler will play going forward has yet to be answered, as the outfielders hamstring still needs to be tested in the field. Soler was able to DH in an American League park, but Chicago wont return to that kind of environment again until Sept. 9.Chicago White Sox: August is just a week old, but James Shields is probably already sick of it. The right-hander has started two games this month, allowing 14 earned runs in just 6 1/3 innings (19.89 ERA). Since joining the White Sox on June 8, Shields has struck out just 31 batters in 12 starts, while walking 29. Shields was one of the most-dropped players in ESPN Fantasy this past week, which is actually amazing when you consider he was only owned in 37.4 percent of leagues when it started.Cincinnati Reds: This is the Billy Hamilton that fantasy owners have been waiting for since he debuted in 2013. Hamilton totally frustrated the Pirates on Sunday, stealing four bases and scoring three times while also making a terrific catch in the field. Gerrit Cole was totally flummoxed, You cant stop him. You can only hold him for a few pitches. ... We did neither today. Hamilton, whose bugaboo has been getting on base, has a .366 OBP and 21 steals in the second half.Cleveland Indians: Andrew Miller admits he hasnt been as focused as he would like this past week in the wake of being traded to the Indians. Facing his former team, the Yankees, this weekend didnt help him get settled either: None of it was fun, honestly. Its tough. Its just a huge distraction, honestly. That said, Miller has struck out five of the past eight batters he has faced, and earned his first save for his new club in Saturdays win over the pinstripes. It should only get easier for the reliever as time goes on.Colorado Rockies: Gerardo Parra (ankle) went 1-for-4 on Sunday in his return from the disabled list. Parra played right field, spelling Carlos Gonzalez in a planned day off. However, with the emergence of David Dahl, its unclear how much playing time Parra will get going forward. Manager Walt Weiss doesnt know what his plans are: Im not sure how its going to work out. Ive got four really good outfielders, and they are all major league-quality outfielders. Ive got to keep them all involved.Detroit Tigers: Nick Castellanos will miss at least a month after getting hit on the hand by a pitch on Saturday. He was diagnosed with a non-displaced fracture. Veteran Casey McGehee started at the hot corner on Sunday, and will likely see a lot of time at the position going forward, though manager Brad Ausmus may decide to platoon McGehee with both Mike Aviles and Andrew Romine.Houston Astros: Since July 3, Colby Rasmus went just 3-for-66 at the plate. Slumps are normal in baseball, but this one? Yeesh! Not to excuse Rasmus poor play completely, but at least there does seem to be an actual reason for the decline. On Sunday, Houston placed the outfielder on the disabled list with a cyst in his right ear that had triggered bouts of vertigo and he may eventually require surgery to fix the problem. As any vertigo sufferer will tell you, the fact he was simply able to remain upright and walk to the plate 66 times is quite impressive.Kansas City Royals: Unless there are injuries to deal with, you pretty much know what the Royals lineup is going to look like on a daily basis -- and for the past 22 games, that lineup has started with Alcides Escobar. Yet in spite of a .217 batting average from the shortstop over that stretch (and his team going seven games under .500 during that stretch), manager Ned Yost has no plans on making a change. Ive thought every which way about it and until we get the middle of our order hitting, its not going to make any difference, Yost said.Los Angeles Angels: Only 110 wins and 1,736 career strikeouts and a lot of wondering what might have been had injuries not reared their ugly head for Tim Lincecum ... thats what were left with as the Angels have decided to designate the two-time Cy Young winner for assignment after nine starts yielded a 9.16 ERA and a .395 BAA. Conceivably, Lincecum could agree to go to the minors and hope for a turnaround, but we may well have seen his final pitch as a major leaguer.Los Angeles Dodgers: It remains a mystery as to whether Clayton Kershaw will return at all in 2016, but for the first time in a while, theres some reason for optimism. Yesterday, Kershaw threw a baseball for the first time since July 16. While the team wouldnt discuss details, manager Dave Roberts seems to hint that a September return for his ace is realistic: Whenever he feels hes ready to go, were going to pencil him in and get him going.Miami Marlins: Congratulations are in order for Ichiro Suzuki, who reached the 3,000-hit milestone Sunday. In terms of fantasy, with just 2.5 percent ownership in ESPN leagues, this historic feat has little impact. However, had the veteran outfielders quest for this hit gone on into September, it may have eaten into at-bats for Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna. Now, while Suzuki may still get a spot start every now and then, therell be no urgency to get him in the lineup, and owners of the regular trio of starters can relax.Milwaukee Brewers: Junior Guerra (7-3, 2.93 ERA) hhas been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise dreary 2016 campaign for the Brewers.dddddddddddd Now, his season has hit a huge roadblock. Guerra, who lasted just four innings in a 12-3 loss on Wednesday, is suffering from elbow inflammation and a disabled list stint is a very real possibility. Wily Peralta, who pitched for the Brewers on Opening Day -- believe it or not -- before getting demoted on June 11 with a 6.68 ERA, has been recalled from Triple-A to pitch in Guerras rotation spot Tuesday.Minnesota Twins: It looks as though Miguel Sano may have saved his spot on the Twins roster with three home runs over the weekend in Tampa. There had been buzz that Sano was going to be sent down to the minors Monday in conjunction with third baseman Trevor Plouffes activation from the disabled list. However, Sanos sudden vitality at the plate may have been what led to the Twins opting instead to send Byron Buxton to Triple-A Rochester.New York Mets: Since Logan Verrett joined the Mets rotation on July 9, he has posted a 5.61 ERA and the team has gone 1-5 in his six starts. He may not get a seventh. Verrett is due to pitch again at home on Friday against the Padres, but chances are a change will be made, with either Jonathon Niese or rookies Gabriel Ynoa or Robert Gsellman getting the ball from manager Terry Collins instead. Zack Wheeler, currently on an injury rehab assignment, is still several weeks away from a return.New York Yankees: It was quite the week in the Bronx. Carlos Beltran was traded to Texas on Monday. On Friday, Mark Teixeira announced he would retire at the end of the season. And Sunday, Alex Rodriguez held a news conference declaring his final game with the team would be Friday. Change may not yet be done, as catcher Brian McCann has reportedly cleared waivers, clearing the way for a potential deal over the next few weeks. Although McCann does have a full no-trade clause, with his teammates seemingly fleeing the clubhouse in droves perhaps hell be willing to follow them out the door.Oakland Athletics: Sonny Gray has given up five runs in a game on five occasions this season. All in all, 2016 has been a disaster for the pitcher who finished third in the Cy Young voting last season, and now things have gotten worse with the news he has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with a right forearm strain. Oaklands rotation is in a shambles, with names such as Zach Neal, Jharel Cotton and Raul Alcantara all possibly taking the mound as starters this week.Philadelphia Phillies: Ryan Howard has two months left to showcase his skills before what is almost certainly going to be an offseason of free agency. Although there is a $23 million club option on the first baseman for 2017, it would be shocking if the Phillies chose not to opt instead for the $10 million buyout. Still, Howard has hit .371 with four home runs in his limited action since July 15, so those fantasy owners who have Howard in dynasty leagues may not want to completely give up on the veteran just yet.Pittsburgh Pirates: As a leadoff hitter this season, John Jaso has hit .262, which ranks 28th among qualified No. 1 batters in the league. That may be why manager Clint Hurdle has decided to move to Josh Harrison as his new leadoff option. Harrison hit first in all three games of the weekend series against the Reds, going 4-for-12 with three runs scored. For right now, hes given us the spark we were looking for, absolutely. Thats why we made the change, Hurdle said.St. Louis Cardinals: Crisis averted? Matt Carpenter, who returned to the Cardinals lineup on Friday after missing a month due to an oblique injury, was pulled from Saturdays game by manager Mike Matheny and then did not play on Sunday -- which certainly raised some eyebrows. However, Matheny said that all is well with Carpenter, and the decision to pull him was because he felt that his player didnt trust that he could go at 100 percent: Everybody is confident with where he is. Its just a matter of him getting into that good feel. He should be in the lineup on Monday.San Diego Padres: Innings caps are the bane of fantasy owners existence, especially when young pitchers theyve counted on for help in their rotations all season long suddenly disappear come September. San Diego is hoping to avoid a complete shutdown of Christian Friedrich and Luis Perdomo, both on short leashes this season, by going to a six-man rotation over the next few weeks. Clayton Richard, just signed by the team after being released by the Cubs on Wednesday, is expected to jump in and give the team some much-needed innings.San Francisco Giants: Bullpen arms who arent closers dont have any fantasy value per se, but having a healthy supply of relievers can definitely help starting pitchers earn a few extra victories (and lower their ERAs a bit) by not allowing inherited runners to score. San Francisco is about a week away from getting Cory Gearrin and Josh Osich back from rehab assignments. Their return may do wonders for an overtaxed pen that was nine games over .500 in May and June, but which has gone just 5-6 since.Seattle Mariners: On Sunday, James Paxton was two outs away from a complete-game victory (while wearing a?hideous throwback uniform, no less -- take that, Chris Sale!) when he was struck in the elbow by an Andrelton Simmons comebacker and had to leave the game. X-rays showed no broken bones and Seattle is currently optimistic that Paxton, who has posted a 1.59 ERA over his past four starts, wont have to miss any time. Phew!Tampa Bay Rays: Has Desmond Jennings played his last game in 2016? Thats a legitimate question after the outfielder fouled a ball off his surgically-repaired left knee last week, ultimately landing him on the disabled list over the weekend. Manager Kevin Cash said that Jennings was frustrated and and I think hes in a very similar feeling that he was before his surgery last year. Outfielder Mikie Mahtook (hand) was activated from the DL and hit fifth on Sunday.Texas Rangers: Sam Dyson blew a save?Sunday, marking only the third time he failed to convert all season long. That said, the closer has now allowed runs in three of his past six appearances and has just one strikeout in his past 40 batters faced. Newly acquired Jeremy Jeffress is 3-for-3 in holds with the Rangers but also struggled yesterday, entering the game with a 3-0 lead and leaving after one inning with the score 3-2. In general, despite Texas spot in the standings, this bullpen is best avoided altogether in fantasy.Toronto Blue Jays: Jose Bautista, when healthy, had been batting leadoff for the Blue Jays for much of the season, but recently, manager John Gibbons has turned to Devon Travis to kickstart his offense. Although Toronto has scored just 2.4 runs per game so far in August, Travis has hit .355 with three home runs in the past seven games, six of which he was atop the order. Glass half-full?Washington Nationals: When it comes to hitting streaks, we kind of know whether or not to be impressed with a players run of good play, given we all immediately can relate it to Joe DiMaggios 56-game record. However, what do we make of Jayson Werths active 38-game streak of reaching base safely? It is the longest in the majors this season (Marcell Ozuna went 36 games in April/May), but there were five streaks of 40 or more games last season. The MLB record -- and second spot -- is owned (no surprise) by Ted Williams (84 games in 1949, and 74 in 1941). DiMaggio is tied for second at 74 (1941, naturally) and then theres -- wait for it -- former Montreal Expos infielder Orlando Cabrera (63 in 2006, though he did it while playing for the Angels). Jerseys NFL China Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys From China Cheap MLB Jerseys Wholesale China Jerseys NFL Jerseys China Discount Soccer Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys China China NCAA Jerseys Cheap Cheap Nike Dolphins Jerseys Cheap Nike Patriots Jerseys Cheap Nike Jets Jerseys Cheap Nike Bengals Jerseys Cheap Nike Browns Jerseys Cheap Nike Steelers Jerseys Cheap Nike Texans Jerseys Cheap Nike Colts Jerseys Cheap Nike Jaguars Jerseys Cheap Nike Titans Jerseys Cheap Nike Broncos Jerseys ' ' '