Francisco Lindor and the Cleveland Indians reached double digits Customized New York Giants Jerseys , and then some.
Lindor homered and hit two of the Indians’ 11 doubles Sunday as they ended the Oakland Athletics‘ six-game winning streak with a 15-3 romp.
”It was really good,” Lindor said. ”Hopefully it’ll keep us in the right direction. Guys felt very comfortable today in the box. Hopefully we can carry that approach to tomorrow’s game.”
Edwin Encarnacion also homered and Jose Ramirez, Yonder Alonso and Lonnie Chisenhall each added two doubles. The Indians nearly matched the team record of 12 doubles set against Minnesota in 1996.
”We kept the line moving,” manager Terry Francona said. ”We hit the ball the other way, we hit the ball through the hole, we went first to third. That’s a good recipe for us. They’re grinding and grinding so it’s nice to have something to show for it.”
Alonso had four hits and three RBIs. Cleveland broke open the game with an eight-run eighth inning – its first 10 batters reached without an out.
Mike Clevinger (7-3) allowed three runs over six uneven innings as the AL Central leaders avoided a sweep.
Cleveland led 5-3 before its big eighth, getting five singles, two doubles, two walks and a hit batter before the A’s recorded an out. When Yan Gomes hit a comebacker to pitcher Josh Lucas for the first out, the Coliseum crowd of 16,164 erupted in mock cheers.
Khris Davis had two hits for the A’s. Oakland had won 12 of 14 going into the day, but left the bases loaded in the first and struggled to get much going after that.
”It’s unfortunate that this game got completely out of hand for us because the guys felt great about not only playing well but coming back,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. ”We had some good at-bats and then it just got a little out of hand.”
The Indians were outscored 10-3 in the first two games of the series and were on the verge of being swept for the second time this season before breaking out against A’s starter Frankie Montas (4-2) and four relievers.
Lindor struck out in his first at-bat, doubled in his next two and hit his 21st home run in the seventh. The Indians leadoff hitter later drew a bases-loaded walk in the eighth.
Encarnacion also homered in the seventh, his 20th this season.
THIS AND THAT
Cleveland’s 13 extra-base hits are the most in the majors in a game this season. . The Indians are 7-1 when facing a sweep in the final game of a series. . Mark Canha has a 10-game hitting streak for Oakland.
DEFENSIVE DOINGS
Chisenhall made a diving catch at the right-field foul line on Chad Pinder’s sinking fly ball to end a bases-loaded threat in the first inning. Center fielder Rajai Davis made an equally impressive diving catch on Jed Lowrie’s liner in the third, then threw back to the infield and the Indians completed an 8-4-3 double play.
”Those were huge Giants Cheap Jerseys ,” Davis said. ”Those are rally-killers.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Indians: RHP Carlos Carrasco (right elbow contusion) threw 58 pitches over four innings of a rehab start with Double-A Akron.
Athletics: 3B Matt Chapman (right thumb contusion) took batting practice before the game and will begin a rehab stint with Single-A Stockton on Monday.
UP NEXT
Indians: RHP Corey Kluber (11-4, 2.54 ERA) pitches against the Royals in Kansas City on Monday, coming off the shortest start of his career.
Athletics: RHP Chris Bassitt (1-3, 2.82) faces the San Diego Padres on Monday in his second start since getting called up from the minors for the fifth time this season.
Marcus Mariota did everything he could to help the Titans advance in the playoffs, throwing a crazy touchdown pass to himself , running for crucial first downs and providing the kind of spark that Tennessee needed to rally from a 21-3 halftime hole.
Heck, he even threw a crucial block on the run that clinched the game.
It all added up to a heart-stopping 22-21 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday, the first postseason win for the Titans in 14 years and one that will provide some relief – for the week, at least – for embattled coach Mike Mularkey and his remarkable bunch of underdogs.
”Special,” said Mariota, whose 205 yards passing included the go-ahead 22-yard strike to Eric Decker with six minutes left. ”I’m part of a great team. I’m part of a group of guys that really believe in each other. And it’s something special.”
Now, the Titans will find out Sunday whether they’re headed to New England or Pittsburgh next.
Derrick Henry added a career-high 156 yards rushing and another score for Tennessee (10-7), while a defense fileted by Alex Smith and the Chiefs (10-7) in the first half pitched a shutout in the second half – dooming the Kansas City franchise to another humiliating postseason defeat.
The Chiefs haven’t won a home playoff game since January 1994.
”I’m in shock,” Smith said. ”The swing at halftime to the final whistle, definitely a shock. Yeah. Didn’t feel like we played up to how we’re capable of playing and that’s disappointing.
Smith threw for 264 yards and two touchdowns , but most of that came before halftime. He couldn’t get going in the second half and misfired on fourth-and-9 at the Titans 44 with just over two minutes to go Jets Cheap Jerseys , denying the Chiefs a chance for Harrison Butker to kick a go-ahead field goal.
Adding to the depression? Henry appeared to fumble as Tennessee tried to run out the clock.
The Chiefs’ Derrick Johnson picked up the ball and returned it for a touchdown with 1:47 to go, and the crowd went wild as fireworks shot off over Arrowhead Stadium. But a replay clearly showed Henry down, the call was overturned and Tennessee succeeded in running out the clock. Mariota threw a block that helped spring Henry for a 22-yard gain on third-and 10 late that helped finish off the comeback.
”Grit. It’s just grit,” Henry said. ”We told them we’ve got 30 minutes left, all we’ve got to do is play our game. Execute the plays and everything will take care of itself.”
In the first half, the Chiefs looked every bit the team that had won four straight in convincing fashion, and the Titans looked every bit the team that backed into the playoffs.
Kareem Hunt, the league’s top rusher this season , plunged in from 1 yard for a 7-0 lead. Smith hit Travis Kelce, who later left with a concussion, with a 13-yard touchdown pass. And he added another TD toss to Demarcus Robinson on the final offensive play for a 21-3 lead at the break.
”We were feeling good,” Johnson said. ”We came in 21-3 and that’s all we were talking about: `Finish. Don’t get complacent. We have bigger goals than this game.”’
But it was the Titans who finished, and it was Mariota who led the way. He capped a 91-yard TD drive to start the second half in the bizarre fashions: Mariota threw a TD pass to himself.
His throw to the end zone was batted right back at him by Darrelle Revis, and Mariota hauled it in and dived for the goal line. It was the first time a player has thrown a TD pass to himself in the playoffs, and the first time in any game since the Vikings’ Brad Johnson during the 1997 season.
”Right place, right time Raiders Cheap Jerseys ,” Mariota said with a smile.
Tennessee nearly squandered its momentum when Adoree Jackson fumbled a punt, but the Chiefs were unable to pick up a first down and Butker knocked a 48-yard field goal off the upright. And the Titans capitalized when Henry rumbled nearly untouched 35 yards for a touchdown a few minutes later.
The Chiefs’ offense had been rendered impotent by that point, unable to move the ball after Kelce left with a concussion in the first half. And the Titans blanketed Tyreek Hill whenever he touched the ball, and they stacked the box to slow Hunt down in obvious rushing situations.
Finally, the Titans pulled ahead on Mariota’s strike to Decker, and that led to more controversy from the officials. Tennessee went for a 2-point conversion and a field-goal edge, Mariota fumbled as he was getting sacked and Frank Zombo scooped up the ball for two points the other way.
But the officials had blown the play dead, ruling Mariota’s progress had been stopped, and the Titans retained the slimmest of margins – one that would stand up to the final whistle.
”I feel really good around our football team,” Mularkey said. ”I know what I’m going to get from them every week. That’s a good feeling, knowing how they’re going to come out, no matter what.”
OFFICIAL COMPLAINTS
The Chiefs also complained about the officials blowing their whistles on a play late in the first half, when Mariota fumbled while getting sacked. He clearly lost the ball and the Chiefs picked it up, but the play could not be reviewed. Tennessee wound up kicking a field goal.
RECORD RALLY
Only two other road teams have rallied from at least 18 down to win a playoff game in NFL history. The Cowboys came back from 21-3 in the first half to beat the 49ers 30-28 in December 1972, and the Lions came back from 27-7 in the second half to beat the 49ers in
