CLEVELAND (AP) — As his teammates sprayed each other with champagne and beer in Houston’s buzzing clubhouse http://www.rockiesfanproshop.com/aut...-helton-jersey , ace Justin Verlander stayed clear of the fray and foam while enjoying a cigar.This wasn’t the time to get soaked. Bigger parties lie ahead.The Astros are back in an October orbit.The defending World Series champions advanced to the AL Championship Series for the second straight year — with surprising ease — by completing a division-round sweep of Cleveland on Monday with an 11-3 lashing in Game 3 helped by two key throwing errors from Indians reliever Trevor Bauer.“No one takes anything for granted here,” Verlander said. “That’s the DNA of the guys in this clubhouse. This team has a propensity to do big things in big spots. This is an atmosphere that breeds winning.“We have the most complete team in baseball.” Marwin Gonzalez hit a two-run double off Bauer in a three-run seventh inning , and the Astros scored 10 runs in their final three at-bats to turn a series that was supposed to be competitive into a complete rout.“We’re the reigning world champs, and we really have a good ability to show up for the day,” Houston manager A.J. Hinch said. “So proud of our guys, the work they put into the winter. It was a short winter for us. As you can see, our guys are pretty hungry to advance.”The Astros moved to the ALCS on-deck circle, where they await the Boston-New York winner for a shot to play for another championship.George Springer homered twice, Carlos Correa hit three-run homer for his first hit of the postseason and Houston’s bullpen combined for four scoreless innings, including six straight outs by winner Collin McHugh , as the AL West champions served notice that a second Series title is on their itinerary.After the Astros finished this demolition of the Indians, they briefly celebrated on the infield at Progressive Field before donning ski goggles in their clubhouse.For the Indians, another postseason ended earlier than planned. Cleveland was beaten in the first round for the second year in a row — New York came back from a 2-0 deficit in 2017 — and baseball’s longest World Series championship drought will reach a 71st anniversary.The Indians hit just .144 in the series, were outscored 21-6 and have lost six straight playoff games. They were swept for the first time since the 1954 World Series.“We got to go home now, before we’re ready to,” manager Terry Francona said. “That hurts. It always stings. I just told the guys, we’ve got a number of guys that are free agents. You know there’s going to be some turnover Nolan Arenado Jersey , and it’s a real special group to all of us.“So that’s a hard one, when you’re saying goodbye before you’re ready to.”Reliever Andrew Miller, one of several potential free agents, couldn’t allow himself to think about the future while saying goodbye to teammates.“There’s probably a million things you could point to why we didn’t win three games,” said Miller, who was on the disabled list three times this year. “This is isn’t the way we want it to end.” Francisco Lindor homered off a circular digital clock in the fifth off Dallas Keuchel to give Cleveland a 2-1 lead that vanished in the seventh.With a major assist, actually two of them by Bauer, the Astros rallied off Bauer. The starter-turned-postseason reliever, who took the loss, stooped behind the mound and dropped his head after his two errant throws.Tony Kemp singled and was awarded second when Bauer’s pickoff throw hopped into the photographer’s pit . Springer reached on a dribbler that catcher Yan Gomes couldn’t make a play on as Kemp took third. Jose Altuve grounded into a forceout, with Kemp scoring to tie it 2-2 .Bauer got the dangerous Alex Bregman to hit a comebacker. But the right-hander’s throw to second was off line , pulling Lindor off the bag and and both runners were safe — a mistake that surely will haunt the enigmatic pitcher all winter.“I caught the ball. I turned around to throw it,” Bauer said. “I saw Frankie going to my right and the umpire crossing over and going to my left. I was in the middle of throwing. I kind of flinched. I made a bad throw. There’s no way around it. That should have been the end of the inning.“It was a 2-2 game and we’re in the seventh and had a chance. I didn’t execute.”As he walked to the dugout, Bauer, who did not commit an error in 28 appearances this season, received a polite ovation from Cleveland fans. They appreciated that the Indians had to ride him in October because of all the other problems in the team’s bullpen. Mike Clevinger gave Francona a terrific outing — five strong innings before Bauer entered.Springer, who struck out on three pitches in his first two at-bats against Clevinger Charlie Blackmon Jersey , got him the third time and drove the first pitch into the left-field bleachers to tie it 1-all .It was Springer’s franchise-record ninth homer in the postseason — he hit No. 10 in the eighth — and gave the Astros a homer in 12 straight playoff games, matching the AL record set by Baltimore (1983, 1997). After hitting just three home runs in the final 1½ months of the regular season, Springer went deep three times against Cleveland.Unlike the Indians, who coasted to a third straight title, Houston got pushed.But once the Oakland Athletics applied pressure, the Astros took off and went 29-10 after Aug. 18.They’re soaring again.“At no point this season was there any complacency with this team,” Verlander said. “If I had been traded here after they won the World Series, instead of before it last year, I would have assumed this was a young and hungry team when I walked in the clubhouse.”ROCKET MENHouston hit eight homers in the series, including two from Bregman and one apiece from Correa, Altuve and Martin Maldonado.The Astros, who were seventh in the AL with 205 homers in the regular season, connected four times in Game 1.NO CLUTCHThe Indians have lost nine straight consecutive postseason games when facing elimination, dating to Game 7 of the 1997 World Series.KING GEORGESpringer has seven homers in his last seven postseason games, matching the Lou Gehrig, Reggie Jackson and Carlos Beltran for the best seven-game span in history.“I’ll take it http://www.rockiesfanproshop.com/aut...e-mcgee-jersey ,” Springer said. “When you look at guys on that list, wow.”COMEBACK STORYFrancona said center fielder Leonys Martin has made significant progress following his battle with a life-threatening illness. Martin contracted a virus shortly after he was acquired in July from Detroit.“He’s doing OK, physically,” said Francona, who expects the 30-year-old to be ready for spring training. “He’s healing so fast that I think it’s surprising the doctors at how quickly his heart has come back.”Martin was hospitalized with stomach pain, but he fell into critical condition with a bacterial infection that entered his bloodstream and attacked organs. Tim Bradbury/Getty ImagesThe New York Yankees flexed their muscle with three homers in their 6-2 win over the Boston Red Sox to steal Game 2 of the American League Division Series at Fenway Park on Saturday.After the offense came to life against Boston's bullpen in Game 1, the Yankees picked up right where they left off against David Price. Aaron Judge got things started with a solo shot in the top of the first inning. Gary Sanchez added two homers of his own, including a three-run blast in the seventh.Meanwhile, New York starter Masahiro Tanaka held the Red Sox potent lineup in check. The former All-Star had allowed just one run on three hits over five innings to help even the series heading back to Yankee Stadium.Masahiro Tanaka's Postseason Success Gives Yankees True AceWhen the Yankees signed Tanaka to a seven-year deal worth $155 million in 2014, it was with the hope he would anchor their rotation.Tanaka's regular-season stats have been fine throughout his career. The 29-year-old has a 3.59 ERA with 798 strikeouts in 824.1 innings over 132 starts.When October rolls around, though, Tanaka has been outstanding:Seth Rothman SethDRothmanMasahiro Tanaka career in postseason (5 GS)W-L2-2 (Could be 3-2)ERA1.50BB/K 7/25BAA .162HR 3*1.08 ERA since start of 2017 postseasonEven though Luis Severino is New York's nominal ace, his second-half struggles have raised questions about his ability to dominate in the postseason. The hard-throwing right-hander had a 5.57 ERA in 12 starts after the All-Star break this season.In Wednesday's AL Wild Card win over the Oakland Athletics, Severino was all over the place with seven strikeouts and four walks in four shutout innings.Tanaka brings stability and dominance when he takes the mound for New York in the postseason. His five innings of work in Game 2 were huge after J.A. Happ only recorded six outs on Friday.Being an ace requires a high level of consistency in the most pressure-packed situations. Tanaka has thrived on the biggest stage in Major League Baseball to give New York's rotation a superstar.Red Sox Won't Survive David Price's Postseason StrugglesPrice seemed to be peaking at the right time for the Red Sox. The 2012 AL Cy Young winner had a 2.25 ERA with as many strikeouts as innings pitched (68) in the second half.Despite that late surge, Price's season was going to be defined by what happened in the playoffs. His history in October has left a lot to be desired, including a 5.03 ERA in 17 games entering Saturday.The narrative only got worse for Price after his performance against the Yankees:Evan Drellich EvanDrellichDavid Price lifetime has allowed 0.9 homers per 9 innings in the regular season, 1.2 in his time with the Red Sox.In the postseason Trevor Story Jersey , Price entered tonight with 1.5 homers per 9. They鈥檙e the one easily identifiable issue. Walks and strikeouts aren鈥檛 too far apartBoston's pitching staff was a significant question mark coming into the series. Chris Sale provided the perfect answer to one of those questions in Game 1 with eight strikeouts over 5.1 innings.For Price, though, there don't appear to be any easy answers. He had a chance to put the Red Sox in complete control of the series, but instead only managed to get five outs in between Yankees hitters lighting him up:Buster Olney Buster_ESPNDavid Prices night:10 batters1 double2 homers2 walksHis streak of starts in the postseason without a win will grow by one.Sale and Price were supposed to give the Red Sox a formidable one-two punch that could compete with any team in the postseason.Price's latest October shortcoming has left Boston relying on Rick Porcello to quiet the Yankees bats on Monday in order to avoid a 2-1 series hole.Powerful Lineup Gives Yankees Huge Advantage in SeriesEven though Price was strong in the second half in the regular season, there were reasons to think he would struggle against the Yankees:James Smyth JamesSmyth621David Price Career vs Yankees Everyone ElseW-L15-14128-61ERA4.90 3.01BAA .273 .230K% 19.6 24.2BB% 7.5 6.1K/BB 2.633.96HR/9 1.260.84His career ERA rises from 3.01 to 3.25 when you include the YankeesFor all the offensive talent both teams possess, the Yankees hold a significant advantage because of their depth. These two clubs ranked first and second in MLB during the season in runs scored and slugging percentage.One notable difference is lineup depth. The Red Sox had five regulars who posted an above-average OPS+, but the bottom three of Ian Kinsler, Sandy Leon, Jackie Bradley Jr. were all well below-average. Leon was especially bad, hitting .177/.232/.279 with a 37 OPS+.By comparison, Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw had a 73 OPS+ in 2018 thanks to a .239/.340/.283 slash line.The Yankees have six regulars with an above-average OPS+ and 12 different players hit at least 10 homers. Sanchez, whose season-long struggles have been well documented, rewrote his narrative with two homers in Game 2.BYU鈥檚 Cosmo the Cougar Is the Next Superstar MascotJoshua Johnson Is HS Footballs Quadruple ThreatThe Champions x Queer EyeHappy 26th Birthday to OBJ 馃帀Happy Anniversary to the Cubs Curse-BreakingD-Rose Turned Back the Clock and Put Up 50Will Drake鈥檚 Favorite Teams Reverse the 6 God Curse?Sports Worlds Halloween Costumes Went HardUp Your Halloween Game with Giant Pumpkin RegattaThe Champions: Episode 6 Is ComingDubs Trolled Fergie So Hard It Became a ChallengePurdue Footballs No. 1 Fan Is Inspiring the TeamOne Road to MLB Starts with a Bottle Cap and BroomstickIts Been a Wild Month with Flyers鈥?Mascot Gritty馃専The Champions: Episode 5 馃専CP3-Rondo Blowup Was a Long Time ComingMahomes Is Showtime Off the Field TooCFBs Creative Entrances Put WWE to ShameWorld Pole Climbing Championships Are Something ElseNBA Let Players Know They Have to Cover Branded TattoosRight Arrow IconSanchez has feasted on Boston pitching all year:Coley Harvey ColeyHarveyGary Sanchez this regular season/postseason combined:1.104 OPS vs. Boston.652 OPS vs. Everyone ElseAs the Red Sox continue to search for answers to their pitching woes and silent offense鈥攖hey've scored just two runs over the past 14 innings鈥擭ew York has taken all of the momentum back thanks to pitching depth and a lineup that is constantly on the attack.The Red Sox need Mookie Betts, J.D. Martinez and Andrew Benintendi playing at their best to win. The Yankees can get by with an off night from Giancarlo Stanton and Didi Gregorius because Judge and Sanchez can do what they did on Saturday.What's Next?Yankee Stadium will play host to Game 3 on Monday at 7:40 p.m. ET. Boston will send former AL Cy Young winner Rick Porcello (17-7, 4.28 ERA) to the mound against New York ace Luis Severino (19-8, 3.39 ERA).Advanced stats courtesy of Baseball Reference.