The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)

Tribe ties win streak record

Kluber’s shutout is 20th victory in a row

- By Tom Withers

The Indians share a record with a team celebrated by Hollywood. “Moneyball” has its sequel. Following a familiar script of scoring first, playing strong defense 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’ second-longest 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.

Francisco Lindor homered leading off the first inning against Matthew Boyd (5-10), and the crowd of 24,654 stood and roared when Kluber sprinted to the mound for the ninth.

Second baseman Jose Ramirez made a sensationa­l diving stop in short right field to throw out Ian Kinsler for the second out, and after allowing a double to Alex Presley, Kluber sealed win No. 20 — and Cleveland’s seventh shutout during the streak — by getting Miguel Cabrera on an easy grounder to third.

Fireworks exploded overhead and the Indians lined up to celebrate yet another win in this unthinkabl­e streak.

The Giants’ revered 101-year-old streak includes a tie that interrupte­d 12and 14-game unbeaten runs. However, the Elias Sports Bureau, the official statistica­l custodian for Major League Baseball, has always regarded the Giants’ stretch as the top mark because tie games were replayed from the start back then.

Cleveland can equal the Cubs’ 21-game run Wednesday afternoon, and the Indians are within striking distance of the illustriou­s-but-imperfect mark of those ‘16 Giants.

The Indians and A’s, whose unexpected run to the postseason 15 years ago was retold in the film starring Brad Pitt, don’t have much in common besides their 20-game streaks.

Oakland was an overachiev­ing squad loaded with pitching and a roster comprised of low-salaried players assembled by a front office that forced baseball to rethink how it evaluated talent. The Indians, on the other hand, have spent millions to get better, and have been expected to win — big.

Maybe not at this amazing rate, but after getting to Game 7 in 2016, Cleveland was a favorite to return to the World Series.

Closing in on their second consecutiv­e AL Central title, the Indians figured to keep things going with Kluber on the mound, and the right-hander continued his own superb stretch.

Kluber improved to 8-1 in his last nine starts and lowered his ERA to an ALbest 2.45 with his third shutout of the season and fifth complete game. He allowed a leadoff double in the first to Kinsler, but stranded him at third by striking out Cabrera and Nicholas Castellano­s to end the inning.

Indians manager Terry Francona has been downplayin­g the streak.

“I just want to win tonight. I’ve always felt like that,” he said before the game. “Maybe you don’t believe me. I want us to show up every day and play the best game we can.”

 ?? RON SCHWANE — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ?? The Indians’ Francisco Lindor celebrates after hitting a solo home run off Tigers starting pitcher Matthew Boyd during the first inning.
RON SCHWANE — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The Indians’ Francisco Lindor celebrates after hitting a solo home run off Tigers starting pitcher Matthew Boyd during the first inning.
 ?? RON SCHWANE — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ?? The Indians’ Carlos Santana scores on a wild pitch by Tigers relief pitcher Drew VerHagen during the sixth inning.
RON SCHWANE — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The Indians’ Carlos Santana scores on a wild pitch by Tigers relief pitcher Drew VerHagen during the sixth inning.

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