BOSTON — The Cleveland Indians took the lead and never let go Monday night, beating the Boston Red Sox 4-3 to complete a three-game sweep of an American League division series at Fenway Park.

Cleveland moves on to the American League Championship Series, hosting the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday in Game 1.

The Red Sox are done in their first playoff appearance since 2013.

David Ortiz is also finished. The 40-year-old Red Sox slugger, who announced his retirement before the season, played his last game. Ortiz went 0 for 1 with two walks and a sacrifice fly.

Boston outhit the Indians 8-7 but it was Cleveland with the clutch at-bats.

Tyler Naquin’s two-run single off Clay Buchholz in the fourth gave Cleveland a 2-0 lead.

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Coco Crisp’s two-run homer in the sixth off Drew Pomeranz, was the game-winner and made it 4-1.

“They played better overall than us. They got the hits when they needed,” said Buchholz who took the loss after four innings of work (six hits, two runs).

Josh Tomlin collected the win with a four-hitter over five-plus innings, allowing two runs.

Crisp, who played for Boston from 2006 to 2008, came up to bat in the sixth. Pomeranz had walked one runner and recorded one out.

Pomeranz hung a curve to Crisp and he pounced.

“After the first game (of the series), I figured all they were trying to do is throw me off-speed,” Crisp said in a TV interview after the game. “Pomeranz struck me out with the curveball the last time. It’s very sharp.

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“He left that one up more than he wanted to. I was sitting on off-speed and I ended up connecting.”

Crisp’s blast sailed over the Green Monster.

Andrew Benintendi’s RBI double in the fifth put Boston on the board. The run ended a 14-inning scoreless streak by Boston.

Ortiz came to bat in the sixth against reliever Andrew Miller, with runners on second and third, and one out. Ortiz hit a sinking liner to center, which was caught, scoring Pedroia on the sacrifice fly. Cleveland led 4-2.

Boston rallied again in the eighth. Pinch-hitter Travis Shaw singled. With two outs, Ortiz walked and Hanley Ramirez’s RBI single closed it to 4-3.

Xander Bogaerts, who had two hits in the game, lined out to end the inning.

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In the ninth, Jackie Bradley Jr. kept Boston alive with his first hit of the series, a two-out single. Dustin Pedroia worked a full-count walk as closer Cody Allen’s pitch count reached 34.

“He was going to finish one way or another,” Indians Manager Terry Francona said.

Shaw came up and also worked a full count. He ended the game with a fly to right.

“I just got under it a little bit,” Shaw said.

And quickly the Indians were celebrating, including Francona, the former Red Sox manager who had plenty of joyous moments at Fenway.

“I don’t care where it is,” Francona said. “To celebrate with our guys was meaningful to me … I mean, I respect that we beat a heck of a team.”

While Ortiz came back out after the game to say goodbye to the fans, the rest of the Red Sox gathered in the clubhouse to pack up.

“It’s not what we expected to happen,” Pedroia said, “but they played great.”


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