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| Houston Astros center fielder George Springer celebrates after hitting a solo home run against the Cleveland Indians during the fifth inning of Game 3 of the 2018 American League Divisional Series on Monday at Progressive Field in Cleveland. Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI |
By Alex Butler, UPI
George Springer hit two home runs to help the Houston Astros cap off a sweep of the Indians in the American League Divisional Series on Monday in Cleveland.
The 2017 World Series MVP went yard in the fifth inning and the eighth inning of the 11-3 Game 3 triumph at Progressive Field. Springer now owns the Astros' franchise record for postseason home runs.
Houston now awaits the winner of the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees series for a matchup in the 2018 American League Championship Series. The ALCS starts on Saturday.
Michael Brantley gave the Indians their initial lead with an RBI sacrifice fly in the bottom of the third inning. Springer stepped up to tie the game at 1-1 with a solo home run in the top of the fifth frame. The blast left the park at 102.8-mph and traveled 413 feet, according to Statcast.
Indians star Francisco Lindor crushed a Dallas Keuchel fastball over the left field fence in the bottom of the fifth inning, giving the lead back to the Tribe.
Then the Astros really got going.
Jose Altuve scored Tony Kemp with a ground out to tie the game at 2-2 in the seventh frame. Marwin Gonzalez stepped up in the same inning, smashing a two-RBI double off of Trevor Bauer to give the Astros a 4-2 advantage.
Houston put Cleveland away for good with six runs in the top of the eighth inning. Kemp began the frame with a strikeout. Springer followed the fanning with a 399-foot solo home run to right center field. Altuve doubled in the next at-bat, before Cody Allen issued free passes to Bregman and Yuli Gurriel.
Gonzalez plated Altuve with an RBI single in the next exchange. Correa pushed the lead to eight runs with a two-run homer two batters later.
Bregman added to the Astros' lead with an RBI single in the top of the ninth inning, the Astros' final run of the series. Cleveland got its final run of the game on a wild pitch in the bottom of the frame.
Springer was 3-for-6 with two RBIs, two runs scored and two strikeouts in the victory. Lindor was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored in the loss.
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