The Cleveland Indians are four wins away from ending a 68-year World Series championship drought. After ousting the Toronto Blue Jays from the American League Championship Series in five games, they’re headed to the Fall Classic for the first time since 1997, and they’re doing so in improbable fashion thanks to a string of potentially devastating injuries.

The Indians were a deep team coming into the season, and that depth has been tested since spring training. Along the way, they lost star outfielder Michael Brantley and starting catcher Yan Gomes. More recently, pitchers Danny Salazar, Carlos Carrasco and Trevor Bauer have missed time or been limited, leaving manager Terry Francona to work his magic to connect dots.

During the year, the Indians have uncovered some diamonds in the rough while introducing new heroes to a once down-trodden sports city that’s now riding on cloud nine. We’ll cover many of those arrivals and their impact right now as we look at the 10 moments that helped get the Indians over the hump.

Signing Mike Napoli
Because they are a small market team, the Indians have always had to be smart with free-agent decisions. When the team signed first baseman/designated hitter Mike Napoli in January for $7 million, it seemed like a worthwhile risk. The 34-year-old was coming off a terrible season, but he had shown some flashes in the second half with Texas. Those gains may not have stuck, but Napoli still turned in an incredible season with Cleveland. Over 645 plate appearances, he hit .239/.335/.465, with a 34 home runs. Considering the price the team paid to bring him in, that’s excellent production. (Chris Cwik)

Tyler Naquin’s walk-off inside-the-park homer
One of the uncovered gems we’re talking about is rookie outfielder Tyler Naquin. Thrust into a big role with Michael Brantley injured, Naquin stepped up as one the most reliable rookies in baseball, hitting .294 with 14 homers and 43 RBIs. One of those homers was a memorable walk-off inside-the-park homer against Toronto on Aug. 20. That had only been done one other time in Indians history and is one of those signature moments that will be replayed for years. (Mark Townsend)

The marathon that lasted 19 innings
If you needed any evidence that the Indians’ bullpen was for real, look no further than the team’s July 1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. It was an absolute marathon of a game, going 19 innings. Starter Josh Tomlin gave Cleveland six solid frames of one-run ball before leaving. At that point, Cleveland utilized eight different pitchers, including starter Trevor Bauer, to shut out the Blue Jays’ potent offense over the next 13 innings. Those eight pitchers combined to give up just four hits and six walks. They struck out 10. (Cwik)

A bittersweet but historic shutout
Sept. 18 was a bittersweet day for the Indians. On one hand, they lost starter Carlos Carrasco for the season to a broken hand. On the other hand, they made history, becoming the first team ever to use nine different pitchers in a nine-inning shutout. In hindsight, they might trade that win to have Carrasco back for the World Series. Then again, it was also a rallying point that essentially laid the ground work for Terry Francona’s mix-and-match strategy that carried the Indians to the World Series. (Townsend)

Everyone steps up to replace Michael Brantley
It’s not easy to replace Michael Brantley’s production, but the Indians were somehow able to do it. The 29-year-old All-Star outfielder played in just 11 games before he was shut down for the year with a shoulder injury. In his stead, a number of players stepped up. Francisco Lindor produced an excellent 6.3 fWAR in his first full season as a starter in the majors. Second baseman Jason Kipnis rediscovered his power stroke, smashing 23 home runs. Carlos Santana rebounded, putting up a .259/.366/.498 slash line with 34 bombs. Perhaps the most surprising of the bunch was infielder Jose Ramirez. Ramirez came into the season with no expectations, and essentially replaced Brantley on his own. Over 618 plate appearances, Ramirez hit .312/.363/.462 with 11 home runs and 22 steals. (Cwik)

The franchise-record 14-game winning streak
Remember when it seemed like the Indians would never lose again? On June 17, they began the process of distancing themselves from the pack with a walk-off win against the White Sox. Fourteen games and fourteen wins later they had gone from a first-place tie to seven games up in the AL Central. The historic stretch included home sweeps against the White Sox and Rays, road sweeps in Detroit and Atlanta, and two wins in Toronto. (Townsend)

Coco comes home
The acquisition of Coco Crisp in late August was seen more as a feel-good move as opposed to a trade that could pay big dividends in October. That hasn’t exactly been the case. While the 36-year-old outfielder is just a part-time player, he’s come up big twice in the playoffs. Crisp’s two-run homer in Game 3 of the American League Division Series helped push Cleveland past Boston. His solo shot in Game 5 of the ALCS extended the Indians’ lead over Toronto. In limited playing time, Crisp has found a way to make a difference. The fact that he’s been able to do so with the team that he debuted with back in 2002 has made it so much sweeter. (Cwik)

Andrew Miller’s postseason dominance
There was no bigger addition at the trade deadline than veteran reliever Andrew Miller. A big reason for that has been Terry Francona’s willingness to use Miller as a weapon, rather than a closer. Another factor has been Miller’s willingness to accept that role, rather than demand the spotlight. Of course, the biggest reason is that Miller is simply locked in, as evidenced by his historic MVP performance in the ALCS. He’s a one-of-a-kind talent. (Townsend)

Sweeping Boston
We admit it. We had little to no faith in Cleveland beating Boston, let alone reaching the World Series. We thought the Red Sox were too talented. We thought the Indians injuries would be too much to overcome. It felt like a poor matchup in so many areas for Cleveland, yet the Indians found a way to not only win the series, but win it convincingly. We learned then the Indians are no joke, and they’ve carried that confidence all the way to the World Series. (Townsend)

Terry Francona’s masterful managing in the ALCS
The Indians have dominated in the postseason in large part to Francona’s willingness to mix things up. All of his skills were on display during the ALCS. Francona not only continued to use Andrew Miller in any situation, but somehow guided the club through Trevor Bauer’s “bloody finger” game with no issues. With his confidence riding high, Francona put the Indians’ World Series hopes on rookie Ryan Merritt in Game 5. He did that despite the fact that Merritt had just one major-league start under his belt. If Francona is considered for the Hall of Fame once his career is over, many will point to this series as a reason he deserves enshrinement. (Cwik)

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik