TORONTO -- The man in blue completed the workout of his life on Monday night.
His task is simple: Sprint from the camera deck toward the bullpen gate and catch it on camera for TBS each time a new reliever emerges from the abyss and jogs to the mound. Hopefully he had his FitBit fully charged before Game 3 of the ALCS.
Droplets of blood dripped from starter Trevor Bauer's right pinkie like water from a leaky faucet. So, manager Terry Francona was forced to turn to his trusty bullpen to cover 8 1/3 arduous innings. With each call to the 'pen -- there were enough to rack up quite the phone charge -- the man in blue dashed toward right field, his TV camera pinned to his shoulder, his credential swinging from elbow to elbow.
The Indians used seven different pitchers to defeat Toronto.
They have won all six of their postseason battles.
They got five strikeouts from Cody Allen and Andrew Miller on Monday, as Miller retired the final four Blue Jays.
They now hold a three-game advantage in the ALCS.
They have two healthy starting pitchers remaining from their regular-season crop.
Somehow, they need only one more win to punch their ticket to the World Series.
It wasn't supposed to happen like this. If the Indians were going to reach this summit, it was to be a result of their stout starting staff shouldering the load.
Instead, a wounded hand, forearm and now pinkie have left the unit in shambles. The Indians' rotation is currently being bonded together by Corey Kluber (who will pitch on short rest in Game 4), Josh Tomlin (who was temporarily removed from the rotation after a dreadful August), Ryan Merritt (who has made one start in his major-league career) and some Scotch tape.
And yet, it hasn't slowed the team down.
Jose Bautista barked to reporters on Sunday about what he deemed had been questionable strike zones. He hinted that the umpires were favoring Tribe pitchers.
Earlier Monday, a Canadian judge dismissed a movement to get the Indians' name and logo banned from the diamond at Rogers Centre. Until late Monday afternoon, the players' wardrobes -- not that they paid much attention to the matter -- hung in the balance.
Then, of course, is the pitching puzzle. Merritt is the latest piece to be tossed into the pile. Until Bauer spilled some of his DNA onto the dirt on the mound, the Indians had no idea whether Merritt would start Game 4 or, if necessary, Game 5.
It didn't take long -- four batters, in fact -- for the decision to be made for them. So the Indians will have their ace on the mound in what will be an opportunity to capture the AL pennant. Should they falter, they'll have the rookie on the hill for Game 5. That scenario, though, is for another day.
These Indians have been about the day at hand, about piecing together nine innings at a time, about keeping that cameraman busy.
The formula has worked wonders to this point, and a chance at the franchise's first championship in 68 years sits one triumph away.
Given the circumstances, that's remarkable.
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