Indians advance, Chapman blows it, Giant walkoff: MLB playoffs rock on

It got tense in the end, but the Indians bullpen came through again, and Terry Francona’s club is headed to the ALCS.

Boston’s loss also means the end of a 20-year career for David Ortiz, who retires with 541 home runs, 1,768 RBIs and approximately one billion infectious smiles.

Dusty Baker’s Washington club scored four runs in the third and four more in the ninth to beat the Dodgers and take a 2-1 series lead. That series continues this afternoon at 5.

Cubs starting pitcher Jake Arrieta began the scoring in Monday’s nightcap with a three-run homer in the second inning, but that was only the start of a crazy night on the West Coast.

💪 💪 💪

— MLB Stat of the Day (@MLBStatoftheDay)

Former Red Aroldis Chapman was entrusted with a 3-2 lead in the eighth inning but couldn’t hold it. Wild Card game hero Conor Gillaspie put San Francisco on top with an RBI triple and scored on Brandon Crawford’s single to give the Giants a 5-3 lead heading to the ninth.

The legend of Kris Bryant continued to grow in the ninth inning as the star third baseman connected for a two-run homer in the top of the ninth off Sergio Romo that tied the game.

Joe Panik (who?) added his name to MLB postseason lore four innings later when he doubled in Crawford from second inning with a towering shot off the wall in deep right field.