Why Canadians should cheer for Cleveland in the baseball playoffs

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The first round of the Major League Baseball post-season ended in dramatic fashion last night as Mets star Pete Alonso smashed a three-run homer off Brewers closer Devin Williams to lift New York to a 4-2 win in the deciding Game 3 of their series.

The second round opens Saturday with the top two seeds in each league coming off a bye to face the winners from the wild-card round. In the National League, the top-ranked Los Angeles Dodgers square off with intrastate rival San Diego while No. 2 Philadelphia faces the Mets. In the American League, the top-seeded New York Yankees play Kansas City while second-ranked Cleveland takes on surging Detroit.

If you're a Canadian baseball fan who's still looking for someone to cheer for after the Toronto Blue Jays failed to make the playoffs, there are some glamorous options here.

The Dodgers, of course, are led by the incredible Shohei Ohtani, who hit 54 home runs and stole 59 bases to become the founding member of the 50-50 club. The Yankees, baseball's most storied franchise, are powered by 6-foot-7 giant Aaron Judge, who topped the majors with 58 home runs and teamed with Juan Soto to become the first pair of Yanks to hit 40 dingers in the same season since Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris.

The Phillies pheature a dynamic duo of their own in two-time NL MVP Bryce Harper and popular slugger Kyle Schwarber. Plus, manager Rob Thomson is Canadian. And you gotta love the Canadian-bordering Detroit Tigers, who were eight games under .500 on Aug. 10 before turning into the hottest team in baseball and sweeping the nefarious Houston Astros.

But, have you considered Cleveland? The AL Central champs are located just a few hours' drive from southern Ontario, on the other side of Lake Erie. They have a bona fide superstar in third baseman Jose Ramirez, who hit 39 homers and stole 41 bags to just miss becoming the seventh member of the 40-40 club. And, for the sentimental, their 76-year championship drought is the longest in baseball by 20 years.

The best part, though? All four of the Canadian players still alive in the post-season are with the Guardians.

Josh, 27, is Cleveland's best power hitter besides Ramirez. The 12th-overall pick in the 2015 draft set career highs in homers (31) and RBIs (108) and made his first All-Star team this season, though his batting average dipped from .308 to .243 as he struck out more often.

Bo, 24, was a first-round pick in 2018. He became Cleveland's primary catcher this season and hit 13 homers in 123 games while batting .201.

The other two Canadians pitch out of Cleveland's bullpen, which is the best in all of baseball. A big reason for that is rookie right-hander Cade Smith. The 25-year-old from Abbotsford, B.C., struck out 103 and walked just 17 over 75 innings while posting a sparkling 1.91 ERA. Smith helps pave the way to light-out closer Emmanuel Clase (47 saves, 0.61 ERA).

Smith's emergence was a pleasant surprise for the Guardians. He doesn't throw the 100mph fastballs or physics-defying breaking balls we've come to expect from an elite reliever. But the numbers don't lie: that's exactly what he is.

Edmonton's Erik Sabrowski is on the bubble to make the Guardians' playoff roster after spending most of the season in the minors. But the 26-year-old lefty was very effective as a September call-up, throwing 12⅔ scoreless innings while striking out 19 in his first taste of the big leagues.