Indians tie AL record with 20th straight win
The Cleveland Indians share a record with a team celebrated by Hollywood. “Moneyball” has its sequel. Following a familiar script of scoring first, playing strong defence and riding dominant pitching, the Indians extended their winning streak to 20 games and matched the AL mark held by the 2002 Oakland Athletics, beating the Detroit Tigers 2-0 on Tuesday night.
Cleveland’s streak, which began on Aug. 24 in Boston, is tied for the majors’ secondlongest in 82 years - and the Indians show no signs of stopping.
Corey Kluber (16-4) strengthened his Cy Young Award case with a four-hitter as Cleveland joined the 2002 A’s, 1935 Chicago Cubs (21) and 1916 New York Giants (26) as the only teams to win at least 20 in a row.
BLUE JAYS 3, ORIOLES 2
TORONTO - Rookie Richard Urena hit a walkoff single as the Toronto Blue Jays came back for a 3-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night, extending their winning streak to four games.
The rally began when Zach Britton (2-1) walked Kevin Pillar to start the bottom of the ninth, then gave up a line drive single to Teoscar Hernandez. Luke Maile drove in Pillar with a single to tie the game and Urena followed with a base hit up the middle to plate Darwin Barney, who had reached on a force out.
Justin Smoak had an RBI double for the last-place Blue Jays (68-77) and Tim Mayza (1-0) pitched 1/3 of the ninth to earn his first win.
Tim Beckham had hit a tiebreaking solo homer off starter Joe Biagini in the eighth to give Baltimore a 2-1 lead. Mark Trumbo drove in the other run for the Orioles (71-74), who lost their sixth straight.
Biagini had baffled the Orioles for most of the game, not allowing an extra-base hit until the seventh, when Trey Mancini hit a double to left-field. Mancini came around to score on Trumbo’s single, tying the game to the displeasure of the 29,055 in attendance.
Biagini pitched a career-high eight innings, allowing two runs and six hits with two strikeouts and zero walks. He threw just 88 pitches, 63 for strikes.
Dylan Bundy started for Baltimore, allowing a run and five hits over six solid innings. He also walked one and struck out eight.
Smoak gave Toronto a 1-0 lead by hitting a long double to right field to score Maile from first base in the third inning. Maile reached on a leadoff single, his fourth hit in eight atbats.
Bundy retired seven straight after Smoak’s run-scoring double in the third inning before running into a jam in the sixth with a leadoff single and a walk.
But the Baltimore righthander struck out Jose Bautista and Kendrys Morales, then got a pop fly from Pillar to end the inning.