BOSTON — The ball settled into the right fielder’s glove, the Cleveland Indians poured onto the diamond and the fans fell silent.
Then, slowly from the Fenway Park crowd rose a chant of “Pa-pi!”
While the Indians celebrated a 4-3 victory over the Red Sox for a three-game sweep and a berth in the AL Championship Series, the Boston fans demanded to see David Ortiz one more time Monday night. Ten minutes after the final out, when most of Cleveland’s players had moved the party into the visitors’ clubhouse, chants of “We’re not leaving!” and “Thank you, Papi!” finally drew the beloved slugger back onto the field.
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. Only when the camera zoomed in on him did it become apparent that the frown was not regret over an early postseason exit: Big Papi was crying.
After two minutes, Ortiz retired to the dugout and retired for good, ending a career that brought three World Series titles to Boston and transformed the once-futile franchise into winners.
“I’m glad he didn’t get a hit to beat us,” said Indians manager Terry Francona, who was Ortiz’s manager in Boston when they won the 2004 and 2007 World Series. “I thought it was an honor to be on the field, competing against him in his last game, because he’s truly one of the best. You could tell the way people were hanging around yelling his name and everything. He deserves every bit of that.”
Indians closer Cody Allen got four outs to complete just the second postseason sweep in franchise history. Rookie Tyler Naquin delivered a two-run single and Josh Tomlin pitched five strong innings for the Indians, who reached the ALCS for the first time since 2007 and open at home Friday against Toronto.
Cleveland went 4-3 this year against the wild-card Blue Jays, who swept AL West champion Texas to reach the ALCS for the second straight year. The Indians had not won a playoff series in nine years, when they beat the New York Yankees and then wasted a 3-1 lead over the Red Sox in the ALCS.
There would be no blowing this lead.
Coco Crisp hit a two-run homer and Allen escaped jams in the eighth and ninth for the AL Central champions. Cleveland’s only other postseason sweep was over Boston in 1995.
Ortiz walked in the final plate appearance of his major-league career but could only watch from the dugout when Travis Shaw hit a game-ending popup with a pair of runners on.
After hitting 38 homers — the most for a player in his final season — Ortiz was 1-for-9 against the Indians. He was hitless with two walks Monday, hitting a sacrifice fly in the sixth with two on instead of the three-run homer the Fenway Park crowd wanted.
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