The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Indians putting up big numbers on field, in ticket sales and in TV ratings
Takeaways from the Indians continuing, record-breaking run down the home stretch of the 2017 season.
Mind-boggling numbers
With its avalanche of statistics, Major League Baseball is in a league of its own when it comes to number crunching.
During their American League-record streak of 21 straight wins, the Indians have averaged 6.6 runs per game and outscored opponents, 13935. They’ve scored first in 19 of those games and trailed for the grand total of four of 189 innings. Their starting pitchers are 19-0 with a 1.67 ERA. Relief pitchers have done their part, too, blanking opponents over the last 28 1/3 innings. Their plus-222 run differential best in the big leagues. All this winning has pushed their overall record to 90-56. The Indians haven’t been 34 games above .500 since the 1999 team was 9763 near the end of that season.
Next target
Now that they have the AL record for consecutive wins, the Indians can make a move on the all-time record of 26 put up by the 1916 New York Giants of the National League.
Managed by future Hall of Fame member John McGraw, the Giants’ streak has come under some scrutiny in recent days because it included a 1-1 tie with Pittsburgh in the 13th game of the streak on Sept. 18, 1916. That game, the second of a doubleheader, was replayed the following day with the Giants prevailing, 9-2.
That team puts its fans on three roller-coaster rides that season en route to an 86-66 record and fourth-place finish. The Giants lost eight straight games and 11 of 13 to start the season, then peeled off 17 straight wins in May.
The Lindor effect
Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor has been a rock for the Indians during this streak. The twotime AL All-Star is batting .370 in those 21 games with team-high totals of 30 hits, 19 RBI and 19 runs scored. On the season, he’s batting .277 with 30 home runs and 78 RBI .
Selected by the Indians with the eighth overall pick in the first round of the 2011 draft, Lindor made his big-league debut on June 14, 2015, with the Indians floundering at 29-33. Since then, the Indians are 244-178 including last year’s postseason results.
Gang-busters at the gate, on TV
Fans are turning out in droves to watch the Indians in person at Progressive Field and on SportsTime Ohio.
The Indians reported walk-up sales of 5,430 tickets on Sept. 13 and 4,523 on Sept. 12. Combined attendance for the two games was 53,920.
According to the A.C. Nielsen measurements of local TV ratings, the Sept. 12 game delivered a household rating of 16.67 in an average of 250,000 households. The only higher household rating this season was 19.58 for the home opener against the Chicago White Sox on April 11.