The Cleveland Indians lost Game 4 of the ALCS to the Toronto Blue Jays, causing some to panic. But there was no need to do so.
The panic started when Ryan Merritt was announced as the Game 5 starter, as uninformed fans thought his inexperience would lead to a Blue Jays win, keeping the momentum in their corner.
But Terry Francona did not pick Merritt as a starter for no reason. And Merritt proved his value and potential with a fantastic outing in Wednesday’s ALCS-clinching victory. He went 4 1/3 innings of scoreless baseball, only allowing two hits while striking out three batters.