real feelings on it.Because that was important to us, and to hear it direc

TORONTO -- Corey Klubers first career start on short rest hardly went the way he wanted.Looking to finish off a Cleveland sweep in the AL Championship Series, the ace right-hander got touched up by the Toronto Blue Jays during a 5-1 defeat Tuesday in Game 4.Kluber was pushed up to pitch on three days rest because of several injuries to Clevelands rotation. He took the loss after allowing two runs and four hits while throwing 89 pitches in five innings.I felt fine, Kluber said. I dont think (the short rest) physically affected me.It was the first time the 2014 AL Cy Young Award winner permitted a playoff opponent to score. He had thrown 13 1/3 scoreless innings against the Red Sox and Blue Jays this October, his first postseason.We talked to Kluber after every inning and I thought he held his stuff really good, Indians manager Terry Francona said. I thought his legs started to get a little tired.Following their first loss in seven playoff games this year, the Indians remain one win from their first trip to the World Series since 1997. Theyll take a 3-1 ALCS lead into Game 5 on Wednesday, when rookie left-hander Ryan Merritt starts against Blue Jays righty Marco Estrada.Merritts major league resume consists of 11 regular-season innings this year. He made one start, holding Kansas City to a run and three hits in five innings on Sept. 30.If you told me on the first day of the season I would be pitching in the ALCS, I might have thought you were crazy, Merritt said. Clinching this win would be awesome. To get this opportunity is awesome. It feels good that the team trusts me.Francona is optimistic Merritt will be up to the task.I think hes OK, the manager said. He talked to (pitching coach Mickey Callaway) a little bit about the scouting report this morning.Cleveland has been without starters Carlos Carrasco (broken hand) and Danny Salazar (forearm) this entire postseason. Right-hander Trevor Bauer left Game 3 after four batters when blood began dripping from his right pinkie, sliced open last week as the pitcher was repairing one of the drones he enjoys flying as a hobby.The early exit by Bauer forced the Indians to get 25 outs from their stellar bullpen Monday night and prompted Francona to turn to Kluber on short rest in Game 4.If the ALCS goes the distance, Kluber could wind up starting on three days rest again. Game 7 would be Saturday in Cleveland.Were one win away from the World Series and thats what were focused on, Kluber said.Kluber, who went 6 1/3 innings to win Game 1, pitched around singles in the first two innings Tuesday before giving up a two-out solo homer to reigning AL MVP Josh Donaldson in the third.It marked the first time Cleveland trailed in the series.I made a mistake to Donaldson, Kluber said.There was more trouble for Kluber in the fourth, which began with back-to-back walks to Troy Tulowitzki and Russell Martin. It was the third time this season Kluber issued consecutive walks, and the first time hed done so against the first two batters in an inning.After Michael Saunders struck out swinging, Ezequiel Carrera made it 2-0 with a bloop single that dropped in front of center fielder Tyler Naquin. Kluber responded by striking out Kevin Pillar and Ryan Goins.Kluber retired his final five batters, striking out three. He walked two and fanned seven, matching his strikeout total from Game 2 of the Division Series against Boston.I thought we did a good job of battling, Martin said. Hes definitely a tough guy to score runs against, but we found a way to get a couple today. cheap china jerseys . -- Arizona knocked off some quality opponents, rolled over a few overmatched ones and grinded out victories even when things didnt go so well. cheap jerseys from china . LUCIE, Fla. https://www.chinajerseysreplica.us/ . Its 1987 and a Brazilian playmaker, known as Mirandinha, is being paraded around St James Park to the passionate Newcastle fans. wholesale jerseys china . The visitors took a deserved lead in the 16th minute with midfielder Yohan Cabaye curling the ball beyond Adrian from inside the penalty area. china jerseys ., and Rudi Swiegers of Kipling, Sask., took sixth spot on Saturday in pairs at the NHK Trophy ISU Grand Prix figure skating competition. CHICAGO -- When the?Chicago Cubs?acquired controversial, flame-throwing reliever Aroldis Chapman from the New York Yankees on Monday, there were sure to be repercussions beyond any baseball-related debate.After issuing a written statement to the media through the Cubs upon being traded, Chapman was introduced to the local media Tuesday in a 20-minute news conference in the visiting dugout at U.S. Cellular Field.Speaking to about 30 reporters and six television cameras through the Cubs designated Spanish translator, coach Henry Blanco, Chapman seemed to skirt around several questions about the domestic-abuse incident that led to the 30-day suspension he served at the beginning of this season.When asked what the Cubs asked him in regard to the off-the-field incident, Blanco translated for Chapman: They told him what they expected for him, welcomed him to the club and hes going to be a part of the team. Hopefully, a guy that helps us to the World Series.Variations of the response were repeated a few times to a media group that grew more impatient as the conference progressed.At one point, when asked about the precise substance of a conference call between the pitcher, agent Barry Praver, Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and owner Tom Ricketts, Chapman paused for several seconds, and, after offering a brief response in Spanish, Blanco translated, He was sleeping when they had a meeting with him on the phone, so hes trying to remember what he talked about.However, after the group news conference ended, Chapman participated in a one-on-one interview with ESPNs Pedro Gomez that was conducted in Spanish. In that conversation, Chapman was more successful in offering answers to some of the same questions he had just been asked.I knew that no matter where I was traded to, this would resurface -- that the controversy is going to follow me, Chapman told Gomez. But Im with my girlfriend. Our family is together. Were working toward making things better in our lives. And really, its going to be with me.When asked what he has learned from the incident, Chapman told Gomez, Ive grown tremendously from that time. Im with my girlfriend still, with the family, and I feel that I have absolutelyy changed as a person.dddddddddddd Im working to be a better person.And now that I remember -- because they just asked me in the previous press conference what the owners asked me -- one of the things they did ask me was about being a better person and being a better neighbor to people. And thats something that I think that I am now, much more so.Those sentiments were echoed a bit later in an impromptu news conference with Epstein in the dugout.I think there is a lot to be said that he was nervous and not speaking his native language and being translated, Epstein said. Look, I was on the call. Tom was on the call. Aroldis was on the call, and Barry Praver, his agent, was on the call. It happened, and it was real. We talked to him about the incident and made sure that statement reflected his real feelings on it.Because that was important to us, and to hear it directly from him. Tom laid out the exact same standards that he lays out to everyone in spring training.Cubs manager Joe Maddon also suggested that the message of Chapmans group news conference was lost in translation.I think it shows that he may not have understood the question, Maddon sad. You have to understand, this kid comes from Cuba, doesnt speak the language very well. Its easy to misunderstand.Maddon?said that incumbent closer Hector Rondon was OK with the clubs acquisition of Chapman, whose average fastball velocity of 100 mph is the highest in the majors, according to ESPN Stats & Information.That, of course, is why the Cubs made the lightning-rod deal in the first place as the club tries to position itself for the franchises first championship in 108 years. If that happens, it could well be Chapman on the mound finishing off the historic accomplishment.I dont feel any different pressure at all, Chapman said in his interview with Gomez. I dont think that you have to put any pressure on yourself. Im still the closer. Im going to do the same job I always have.Chapman was available to pitch Tuesday, but didnt even get the chance to warm up as the Cubs were shut out 3-0?by the crosstown?White Sox.? ' ' '