The best team in the American League during the regular season looked very much the part in Game 1 of the ALDS on Thursday night.

The Indians jumped out a 1-0 series lead over the Yankees with a dominating 4-0 win (box score) at Progressive Field. The game did not feel as close as the score indicates. Cleveland took a quick 1-0 lead in the second inning and never looked back.

Here is everything you need to know about the Indians' win in Game 1.

Bauer was nasty

Many folks, myself included, though it was a bit curious the Indians decided to start Trevor Bauer, not the great Corey Kluber, in Game 1. Their thinking is Bauer is better equipped to start Game 4 on short rest, if necessary. The Indians don't want to ask Kluber to do that just yet. He made three starts on short rest last postseason, including two in the World Series.

Well, the decision to start Bauer in Game 1 looks genius now, and shows why Indians skipper Terry Francona is on his way to the Hall of Fame and the rest of us jokers are watching on television. Bauer was masterful in Game 1, taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning and holding the Yankees to two hits and one walk in 6 2/3 scoreless innings. He struck out eight.

How did Bauer do it? By burying the Yankees with curveballs. That was Cleveland's strategy last postseason. Their staff has great breaking balls and they used them an awful lot. Here is Bauer's pitch breakdown in Game 1:

  • Fastballs: 41 (41.8 percent; 39.6 percent during regular season)
  • Curveballs: 35 (35.7 percent; 29.1 percent during regular season)
  • Cutters: 9 (9.2 percent; 8.2 percent during regular season)
  • Sinkers: 8 (8.2 percent; 9.9 percent during regular season)
  • Changeups: 5 (5.1 percent; 6.3 percent during regular season)

The Yankees were, believe it or not, one of the best curveball hitting teams in baseball this year. They ranked 10th in batting average (.223) against curveballs during the regular season. (The league average was .218.) It didn't help the Yankees any in Game 1. Bauer had them off balance all night.

Bruce burned the team that tried to get him

Two teams tried to acquire Jay Bruce from the Mets at the trade deadline: the Indians and the Yankees. The Indians wound up acquiring him in what amounted to a salary dump, and on Thursday night, he swatted a two-run home run that gave Cleveland a 3-0 lead in the third.

Soon after the deal it was reported the Yankees and Mets were close to a Bruce trade back, but the Yankees did not want to take on the entirety of Bruce's contract. The Indians agreed to take on the money, so to Cleveland he went. The Indians made sure to point that out following the homer.

That is A+ in-game trolling.

Kipnis made a great catch in center

Jason Kipnis, a career second baseman, started Game 1 in center field because the Indians wanted to keep Giovanny Urshela at third base. That meant Jose Ramirez at second and Kipnis in the outfield, where he played in college. Sure enough, Kipnis made a spectacular diving catch in the top of the third inning:

A legitimately great catch! Lots of times diving catches are the result of a poor route or subpar speed, but not that one. Kipnis ran full speed right for the ball and laid out to the made the catch. This was his 12th career game in center field -- all 12 have come late this year -- and of course Kipnis has been talking trash to his teammates.

Kipnis certainly backed it up on that play, which robbed Chase Headley of a leadoff double.

Gray had no idea where the ball was going

Walks and home runs have become a bit of a problem for Sonny Gray the last few weeks. He allowed nine home runs in six September starts after allowing seven home runs in his previous 26 starts. Also, Gray had eight walks in his final two starts and 10 2/3 innings of the regular season. In Game 1 of the ALDS, Gray allowed another dinger and also walked four in 3 1/3 innings. His pitching line:

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Sonny Gray
STL • SP • #54
IP3 1/3
H3
R3
ER3
BB4
K2
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So that is now 12 walks in Gray's last three starts and 14 1/3 innings. Not good. Two of those four walks came around to score on Thursday. The home run Gray gave up to Bruce wasn't a bad pitch -- it was up and in, as you can see in the video above -- but sometimes those get hit out of the park. The walks and the onslaught of three-ball counts are the bigger problem.

By the way, Gray has now thrown 16 1/3 innings in three postseason starts in his career. In those 16 1/3 innings, he has received zero (0) runs of support.

Judge had a rough game

In the Wild Card Game earlier this week, AL Rookie of the Year favorite and AL MVP candidate Aaron Judge went 2 for 4 with a home run and a walk in his postseason debut. His second postseason game did not go well. Here's a recap of his night:

  • 1st at-bat: Strikeout looking.
  • 2nd at-bat: Strikeout swinging.
  • 3rd at-bat: Strikeout looking.
  • 4th at-bat: Strikeout swinging.

Ouch. Judge did strike out 208 times during the regular season, the sixth highest single-season total in baseball history, so strikeouts are part of his game. That doesn't make his Game 1 showing any easier to swallow if you're Judge or the Yankees though. The fourth strikeout was particularly painful because the Yankees had two men on base in the eighth inning and a chance to get back in the game.

The Indians are well set up for Game 2

Things worked out perfectly for the Indians. Bauer pitched them to a win in Game 1 and now they have Kluber ready to go for the jugular in Game 2 on Friday. He will be opposed by former Indians ace CC Sabathia, who was quite good following a Yankees losses during the regular season:

Furthermore, because Bauer was able to take the ball into the seventh inning, Francona didn't need to use Andrew Miller and Cody Allen as much as we saw him use them at times last postseason. Miller threw 30 pitches and Allen threw 20 pitches. Both should be plenty good to go behind Kluber in Game 2. The Indians are set up perfectly going into Friday.