Indians edge Angels 2-1 for seventh-straight win

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Indians are finally starting to look like the defending AL champions.

Cleveland ran its winning streak to a seven games — its longest of the season — and moved to a season-high 10 games over .500 with Thursday's 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels.

Trevor Bauer pitched a season-high eight innings, Francisco Lindor singled to break a tie in the seventh and the Indians completed a 7-0 homestand after losing six of seven.

Manager Terry Francona knows the streak has come at a critical point for his team, which stumbled out of the All-Star break with a 1-5 road trip.

Bauer (9-8) is 4-0 in five career starts against the Angels. He struck out six and allowed seven hits. Cody Allen pitched the ninth for his 18th save. JC Ramirez (9-9) took the loss.

Bauer worked out of a jam in the seventh that began with runners on second and third and no out. The right-hander realized he had one of two options.

Andrelton Simmons led off the inning with a single and took third on Luis Valbeuna's double. The runners held when C.J. Cron grounded out. Pinch-hitter Yunel Escobar struck out and Juan Graterol grounded out to end the inning.

The Indians have gone with six starters their last two turns through the rotation, but will return to five soon.

Lindor's two-out single off Ramirez in the seventh scored Brandon Guyer, who drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on a sacrifice. After pinch-hitter Austin Jackson walked, Bradley Zimmer struck out, but Lindor lined a 1-2 pitch to right.

The Angels were swept for the first time since April 14-16 at Kansas City.

Carlos Santana hit a leadoff home run in the bottom of the second. Bauer held the Angels scoreless until the fifth when C.J. Cron's two-out single tied the game.

Blue Jays 8, Athletics 4. 10 innings

TORONTO — Steve Pearce became the latest Blue Jay to hit a game-ending home run.

Pearce hit a tiebreaking grand slam in the 10th inning and Toronto beat the Oakland Athletics to complete a four-game sweep.

Oakland reliever Liam Hendriks (3-2) walked the bases loaded with two outs before Pearce hooked a 3-2 pitch down the left field line and into the second deck. The grand slam was the second of his career and first since May 2015.

The Blue Jays won consecutive games on home runs for the first time in team history.

Kendrys Morales, who hit a game-winning homer in the ninth inning Wednesday, had two more home runs Thursday. Morales connected off Sean Manaea in the fifth and added a tying blast off Blake Treinen in the ninth, the 19th multihomer game of his career.

Treinen got the ninth in place of Santiago Casilla, who blew Wednesday's game. The Athletics have blown five of their past six save opportunities.

Toronto has hit four game-ending home runs this season, the third-highest total in team history. They hit six in 2011.

Josh Donaldson also homered for Toronto, a solo blast in the first.

Roberto Osuna (3-0) worked one inning for the win.

Marcus Semien had three hits and a walk for the Athletics, who have lost 12 of 13 in Toronto.

In the fifth, one batter after Blue Jays manager John Gibbons was ejected for arguing ball and strikes with home plate umpire Will Little, Stroman and catcher Russell Martin were both tossed. An irate Stroman charged toward home plate to confront Little, and had to be restrained by Martin and bench coach DeMarlo Hale.

Right-hander Chris Smith replaced Stroman and Miguel Montero took over for Martin.

Stroman allowed three runs and six hits in 4 2/3 innings, walking a season-high six. Asked about the ejection afterward, he had little to say.

Oakland struck quickly against Stroman, scoring three runs in the first against a pitcher who had allowed just four earned runs combined in his previous four July starts. Ryon Healy drove in a run with a groundout and Bruce Maxwell followed with a two-run single.