Cleveland closes on century-old record

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 American League record, beating the Kansas City Royals 3-2 on Thursday night to move within four wins of matching the 1916 New York Giants for the longest streak in majorleague history.

After blowouts, shutouts and oh-so-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 toughest one Bruce said.

Ramirez led off the 10th with a hard hit into right-center off Brandon Maurer (2-2) that he turned into a double with a head-first 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 by his teammates, who doused him with ice water and talcum powder while tearing the front of his jersey.

“Nothing like it, nothing like it,” Bruce said. probably the we’ve had,”

These Indians aren’t for anything.

Down to their last strike in the ninth, the Indians rallied to tie it at 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 pinch-runner Erik Gonzalez from first.

As Lindor’s ball caromed off the wall and rolled slowly across the grass in left field, 30,874 fans who have watched the Indians overpower teams for the last three weeks, soon saw the AL Central leaders pull off their most dramatic win this season.

The Indians entered the day tied with the 1935 Chicago Cubs for the second-longest streak, and now only trail those 1916 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 and therefore didn’t stop New York’s streak.

Unlike many of Cleveland’s game’s over the past three weeks, this one required a little late-innings work by the Indians, who have outscored their opponents 142-37 during this unimaginable run.

On top of getting another win, the Indians also got top reliever Andrew Miller back. stopping