Bruce almighty, the Indians are winners again

CLEVELAND The Cleveland Indians added a walk-off win to a streak that has had everything.

Jay Bruce hit an RBI double in the 10th inning as the Indians rallied for their 22nd straight win to extend their AL record, beating the Kansas City Royals 3-2 Thursday night to move within four wins of matching the 1916 New York Giants for the longest streak in major-league history.

After blowouts, shutouts and ohso-easy wins, the Indians, who tied it in the ninth on Francisco Lindor’s two-out, two-strike RBI double, went into extras for the first time to keep the longest streak in 101 years intact.

“This was probably the toughest one we’ve had,” Bruce said.

Jose Ramirez led off the 10th with a hard hit into right centre off Brandon Maurer (2-2) that he turned into a double with a headfirst slide. After Edwin Encarnacion walked, Bruce, the recent arrival who hit a three-run homer in win No. 21 on Wednesday, ripped a 2-0 pitch into the right-field corner.

As Progressive Field shook like it usually does in October, Bruce reached second base and was quickly mobbed his teammates, who doused him with ice water and talcum powder while tearing the front of his jersey. “Nothing like it” Bruce said. These Indians aren’t stopping for anything.

Down to their last strike in the ninth, the Indians rallied to tie it at 2-2 off closer Kelvin Herrera with Lindor delivering his clutch shot off the left-field wall, just above the leap of four-time Gold Glove winner Alex Gordon, to score pinchrunner Erik Gonzalez from first.

The Indians entered the day tied with the 1935 Chicago Cubs for the second-longest streak and now trail only those 2016 Giants, who won 26 in a row — all at home.

The Giants won 12 straight, played a 1-1 tie and then won 14 in a row. But because the tied game was replayed from the start the next day, it didn’t technically count.