Indians’ record streak ends with loss to Royals
Dodgers blank Nationals in battle between teams with NL best records
>> CLEVELAND: The Cleveland Indians can return to clinching their division and play-off preparations.
Their historic winning streak is, well, history.
Cleveland’s AL-record run was stopped at 22 straight games by Friday night’s 4-3 loss to the Kansas City Royals, who became the first team to conquer the defending league champions since Aug 23.
Their 22 straight triumphs set an American League record — surpassing the previous AL mark of 20 straight established by the Oakland Athletics in 2002.
Cleveland surpassed the 21-game streak put together by National League’s Chicago Cubs in 1935 — but came up short in pursuit of the Major League record 26-game winning streak of the 1916 New York Giants.
“Common sense says you’re eventually going to lose a game. It was a lot of fun,” Indians manager Terry Francona said.
Jason Vargas (16-10) pitched into the sixth and Brandon Moss homered off Trevor Bauer (16-9) as the Royals ended baseball’s longest win streak in 101 years.
With one last chance in the ninth, the Indians put the tying run on base before Mike Minor struck out the side for his first pro save, fanning Francisco Lindor on a pitch in the dirt for the final out.
In Washington, Alex Wood allowed just three hits in six scoreless innings and was backed by three early home runs as Los Angeles crushed Washington 7-0 in a showdown of first-place teams with the two best records in the National League.
The Dodgers, who had lost eight of their previous 10 outings, entered with a magic number of seven to clinch the NL West. The Nationals have lost three of four since clinching the NL East title last Sunday.
Justin Turner and Yasiel Puig homered in the Dodgers’ first Washington appearance since winning Game Five of the NL Division Series last October.
Edwin Jackson (5-6) lasted just 2-1/3 innings. The NL East champions Nationals fell six games back of Los Angeles in the chase for home-field advantage in the play-offs.
In St Petersburg, Xander Bogaerts had two hits in Boston’s seven-run 15th inning and the Red Sox beat Tampa Bay 13-6 in a game that lasted six hours and five minutes.
Austin Pruitt (7-5) walked Jackie Bradley Jr to lead off the top of the 15th. Bogaerts followed with a single. Dustin Pedroia hit a ground ball that was misplayed by second baseman Brad Miller, allowing Bradley to score the lead run.
Andrew Benintendi, Mitch Moreland, Deven Marraro and Bogaerts drove in extra runs for the Red Sox, who maintained their three-game lead over the New York Yankees in the AL East.
Brandon Workman (1-1) got the win. Blaine Boyer, the 21st pitcher to appear in the game, pitched the 15th for Boston.
In New York, Didi Gregorius hit a tie-breaking two-run homer and drove in four runs, leading the Yankees to their fifth win in six games, an 8-2 victory over Baltimore.
Gregorius hit a sacrifice fly in the first, homered against Miguel Castro for a 4-2 lead in the fifth and added another sacrifice fly in a three-run seventh.