Indians extend win streak to 19 with victory over Detroit
Unrelenting and unbeatable at the moment, the Cleveland Indians refuse to lose.
With their latest overpowering win, they extended baseball’s longest winning streak since 2002 to 19 games with an 11-0 blowout of the Detroit Tigers on Monday night to move closer to a record that has stood for 101 years.
Francisco Lindor tripled home three runs off rookie Myles Jaye (0-1) in the second inning, and the Indians, who haven’t lost since Aug. 23, added another blowout to their growing list of lopsided conquests.
The defending AL champions aren’t just rolling, they’re steamrolling opponents, outscoring them 132-32 during a stretch that includes six shutouts.
Carlos Carrasco (15-6) struck out nine in six innings, Lindor had four RBIs and Jose Ramirez hit a two-run homer as the Indians lowered their magic number to clinch the Central to six.
Yankees 5, Rays 1
In New York, Todd Frazier capitalized on Trevor Plouffe’s two-out error with a three-run homer in a five-run fourth inning that led New York over Tampa Bay.
Jacoby Ellsbury broke Pete Rose’s major league record by reaching base on catcher’s interference for the 30th time, and David Robertson (8-2) pitched a career-high 2 2/3 innings in relief of CC Sabathia, removed with two on and one out in the fifth. Ellsbury was struck by Jake Odorizzi (8-8)
Opening a stretch that has 17 of their final 20 games in New York, the Yankees closed within three games of Boston in the AL East and opened a four-game lead over Minnesota for the top AL wild card. The Rays dropped four games behind the Twins with 17 remaining.
Rangers 5, Mariners 3
In Arlington, Delino DeShields homered after taking a speedier trip around the bases for an earlier run as Texas beat Seattle in the opener of a four-game series matching teams still hoping to get an AL wild card.
Cole Hamels (10-3) struck out seven in six innings to win for the first time in his last four starts.
DeShields reached on a one-out bunt single in the second, when he was initially called out before a replay challenge overturned the call. DeShields then raced home from first on Choo Shin-soo’s two-run double that made it 4-1, running through a stop sign from fill-in third-base coach Jason Wood and scoring on a nifty headfirst slide.
Two innings later, DeShields hit his fifth homer.
Alex Claudio worked a perfect ninth to get his eighth save in 12 chances.
Mariners starter Ariel Miranda (8-7) allowed gave up six hits and walked three in only 1 2-3 innings.
Blue Jays 4, Orioles 3
In Toronto, Ryan Goins hit a solo home run, Marco Estrada won his third straight decision and Toronto beat slumping Baltimore.
Darwin Barney had two hits and an RBI as the Blue Jays won their third straight and handed the Orioles their fifth consecutive defeat.
Mark Trumbo hit a solo homer for Baltimore, which entered three games back in the AL wild-card race.
Estrada (8-8) allowed two runs and four hits in five innings. Dominic Leone pitched around a leadoff single in the ninth to earn his first career save.
Ubaldo Jimenez (5-10) is winless in six starts.
Pirates 7, Brewers 0
In Milwaukee, Steven Brault and four relievers combined on a three-hitter to lift Pittsburgh over Milwaukee.
Milwaukee didn’t get a runner past first base against the Pirates and fell 2 1/2 games behind Chicago in the NL Central after outscoring the Cubs 20-3 in a three-game sweep at Wrigley Field over the weekend.
Brault (1-0), making his second start of the season, only allowed a fourth-inning walk to Ryan Braun and a fifth-inning leadoff single to Jesus Aguilar. He struck out six in six innings for his first major-league win.
Milwaukee rookie Brandon Woodruff (1-2), allowed six runs on seven hits and a walk in five innings.
White Sox 11, Royals 3
In Kansas City, Jose Abreu had four hits, Adam Engel hit a three-run homer and the White Sox pounded the Royals.
Abreu, who hit for the cycle Saturday and had two home runs Sunday, drove in two and scored once while raising his average to .306. He was a homer shy of another cycle.
Engel went deep off Brandon Maurer during a six-run sixth.
Yolmer Sanchez, Yoan Moncada and Abreu, the first three White Sox hitters, combined to go 9 for 16 with six runs and four RBIs. Moncada had his first career three-hit game.
Rockies 5, Diamondbacks 4
In Phoenix, Nolan Arenado’s tie-breaking three-run home run in the eighth inning powered the Rockies to a win over the Diamondbacks.
The Rockies took the first game of a key four-game series between the National League wild-card leader, Arizona, and second-place Colorado. The Rockies moved four games behind the Diamondbacks and 3 1/2 ahead of St. Louis for the second wild card slot.
Arenado drove in four runs with a double and his 33rd home run of the season, and the Rockies won their seventh straight road game and fifth overall.