Dombrowski: Farrell will be back as Red Sox manager in 2017

He had led the Red Sox to three World Series titles, and in his final act they were swept from the playoffs.

After two minutes, Ortiz retired to the dugout and retired for good, ending to a career that brought three World Series titles to Boston and transformed the once-futile franchise into winners.

Cleveland closer Cody Allen hung on in the last two innings, and the Indians beat the Boston Red Sox 4-3 Monday to complete a three-game sweep of their AL Division Series.

The first two games of the American League Division Series – a bad loss in the opener followed by a a debilitating, listless, frustrating loss in Game 2 – came out of nowhere. Chicago leads the best-of-five NLDS 2-1 but missed out on a sweep because of clutch hits from Panik and Conor Gillaspie during the Giants’ 6-5 win Monday.

It is not something David Ortiz would feel sad or angry about it. “It took a moment for the faithful to begin chanting, ‘Thank you, Papi”. Bryan Shaw came on in the eighth, got two outs and left with a runner on – after a nifty stop by third baseman Jose Ramirez on Mookie Betts.

He did not get a hit in the final two games of the series, but he provided the spark in Game 1 to give the Indians the important 1-0 lead in the series.

Wearing a red warmup and a scowl on his face, Ortiz lumbered out to the mound and tipped his cap in all directions, tapping his heart.

“I think the expectation, so many years with David, was there was going to be a big hit, ” said manager John Farrell. Over his 20-year career, Ortiz hit.286/.380/.552. Sent into the game to run for the retiring slugger, Hernandez got a brief lecture at second base before Ortiz trotted off the field for what turned out to be the last time. Instead, he drew a four-pitch walk.

It was truly a remarkable series win, and a reaffirmation that this team somehow just keeps doing everything right.

“When our backs are against the wall, we always find a way”, Panik said.

WKSU commentator Terry Pluto says it’s one of the more remarkable playoff series he’s ever seen the Indians win.

A bridge and street outside Fenway Park have been named in his honor.

Then there were the ovations.

Though its proximity to Fenway makes the Commonwealth a convenient choice for Red Sox fans, the hotel has more than embraced its designation as the team’s official hotel.

He wasn’t there long before he was joined by Indians players Carlos Santana, Francisco Lindor and Jason Kipnis. Santana and Lindor stayed to stretch alongside him. A few weeks ago, Oklahoma City Thunder coach Billy Donovan visited the Indians and when he walked by the manager’s office, Francona was playing cards with Tomlin. Ortiz was introduced and joined his teammates on the first base line. “I did it the first [celebration] and now the second one“, he said of the contraption. You could tell the way people were hanging around yelling his name and everything.

But despite how tenuous things may have felt, this Indians team deserved every ounce of champagne that was spilled in the clubhouse Monday night.

“We definitely took notice of it”, Bauer said of the article in the clubhouse afterward, taking a break from pouring beers down the back of the shirt of anyone who walked by. He was released at the end of the season due to injuries and a sharply increasing salary.

The Toronto Blue Jays are hoping their upcoming trip to the ALCS goes a lot better than last season’s. I know there was more games to go. I won’t hold my breath for Henry and Co.to go to bat for Schilling and/or Manny when it comes to either of them landing in the Baseball Hall of Fame.