Indians advance, oust Pillar's Blue Jays;
Cubs beat Pederson's Dodgers, even series
Indians earn A.L. pennant
Cleveland blanked host Toronto 3-0 on Wednesday to win Game 5 of the A.L. championship series and advance to the World Series.
Four Indian pitchers combined for 8 strikeouts and no walks while holding Blue Jays batters to 5 singles and a double. Toronto CF Kevin Pillar went 0-for-3, including a two-out strikeout with men on first and second in the 5th inning.
"It's disappointing," Pillar said after the game. "For Toronto to get back to the postseason was a huge accomplishment."
After hitting .286 with a home run, 5 doubles, and 6 RBIs in the 2015 postseason, Pillar struggled in the 2016 playoffs, hitting just .094 with a homer, double, and 2 RBIs.
Cleveland will face the Cubs or Dodgers in the World Series.
Cubs beat Dodgers 10-2
Chicago defeated host Los Angeles in Game 4 of the N.L. championship series to even things at 2 games apiece.
The Cubs took a 4-0 lead in the 4th inning and never trailed. Dodgers CF Joc Pederson went 1-for-4 on the night. He singled with 2 outs and a man on first in the bottom of the 4th, but Yasmani Grandal struck out to end the inning.
Pederson also made a phenomenal somersaulting catch in the top of the 6th but was charged with a throwing error when he attempted to prevent a run from scoring.
After the game, Pederson remained upbeat. "I think we're in a great spot," he told MLB.com. "[Kenta Maeda] goes tomorrow, then [Clayton Kershaw] and [Rich Hill]. We play at home tomorrow and we could easily be up 3-2 headed to Chicago."
Game 5 takes place at 8:00pm ET tonight in L.A. on Fox Sports 1 and ESPN Radio. Chicago's Jon Lester (19-5) will face the Dodgers' Kenta Maeda (16-11).