Bruce’s season has been salvaged with trade to Indians
“I pretty much went from the least fun situation in baseball to the most fun.” JAY BRUCE ON CLEVELAND’S STREAK
CLEVELAND— Just a little more than a month ago, Jay Bruce was in New York sinking with the Mets as a season that began with promise and a richness of pitching was undermined by injuries.
The plunge was dramatic. So was the rise.
Atrade rescued Bruce and dropped him in Cleveland, where he made history on Wednesday.
“I pretty much went from the least fun situation in baseball to the most fun,” he said.
Bruce hit a three-run homer in the first inning as the Indians set the AL record with their 21st straight win, a 5-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers that pushed Cleveland closer to another division title and within reach of a 101-year mark that has come under scrutiny because of a peculiarity. They won No. 22 against Kansas City on Thursday.
Unbeaten and nearly unchallenged for three weeks, the Indians surpassed the Moneyball 2002 Oakland Athletics for the league record and tied the 1935 Chicago Cubs for the second longest streak since 1900.
The only team to win more consecutive games was the 1916 New York Giants, who won 12 in a row, played a tie that was ended by rain and replayed, and then won 14 more.
Despite the tie, the Giants’ streak is acknowledged as the record by Elias Sports Bureau. The flaw in the re- cord has perturbed some fans. Not the Indians.
“I’ve given that zero thought,” manager Terry Francona said when asked if he regarded 21 or 26 as the record. “I promise you I’ve given it no thought.”
That’s been the attitude of his players, who have gone 22-0 with minimal celebrating. When closer Cody Allen got the final out Wednesday, retiring Ian Kinsler on a sinking liner to left field, the 29,000 fans who hung on every pitch inside Progressive Field as if it was Game 7 of the World Series, erupted as flames shot from over the centre-field wall and fireworks exploded overhead.
The Indians didn’t carry on as if it was a big deal. They’ve got more important games ahead of them. Cleveland’s first World Series title since 1948 remains the only goal.
“We don’t have time to worry about what happened in the past and we definitely don’t have any time to worry about what’s going to happen in the future,” Bruce said. Bruce has provided protection for Cleveland slugger Edwin Encarnacion and given Francona even more depth in a lineup with no apparent holes.
“You make a mistake and he knows The Indians are 31-5 since Bruce arrived. He joked about “some selection bias” when asked if he’s changed the club’s fortunes.
“I feel like I do add something positive to this team,” he said. “This team has added something to me as well. You’re coming into something that is bigger than yourself.”
After the Indians matched Oakland’s 15-year-old record with their 20th straight win Tuesday night, Bruce texted with Scott Hatteberg, a member of that celebrated A’s team that flopped in the post-season but gained fame in film. They were briefly teammates in Cincinnati.
“I j ust said, ‘ Who would’ve thought?’ ” Bruce recalled. “And he said, ‘Good luck, win another one and win a ring.’ ”