Desperate Dodgers end skid, clinch playoff berth
SAN FRANCISCO
(AFP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers snapped an 11-game skid on Tuesday, clinching a playoff berth with a 5-3 victory over the San Francisco Giants.
Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw allowed eight hits in six innings, but limited the Giants to two runs in a win that couldn’t come soon enough for the Dodgers.
They were feted less than a month ago as possibly one of the best teams in Major League history — their 91 wins with a month left in the regular season matching their entire total from 2016.
But on August 26, a shut-out loss to the Milwaukee Brewers marked the start of a downward spiral of 16 defeats in 17 games.
Their 11 defeats on the trot marked their worst losing streak in 25 years. Dodgers teams of 1961 and 1992 lost 10 in a row while the 1944 Brooklyn Dodgers lost 16 straight.
A four-run fourth inning for Los Angeles started with Chase Utley’s home run into McCovey Cove. Kershaw’s line drive to left center eluded Giants left fielder Austin Slater and the Dodgers hurler was credited with a double.
He scored on Corey Seager’s sacrifice fly, and Yasiel Puig’s double scored two more runs in the inning to take a 4-1 lead.
Kelby Tomlinson had homered off Kershaw in the third inning, and the Giants added one run in the sixth inning and one in the seventh to trim the deficit to 4-3 before Justin Turner doubled home Chris Taylor to give the Dodgers an insurance run in the eighth.
Dodgers closing pitcher Kenley Jansen loaded the bases in the ninth but struck out Buster Posey and Nick Hundley to end the game.
Indians equal AL record with 20th straight win
CLEVELAND (AP) — Francisco Lindor skipped through the doorway and into the Indians’ clubhouse, where the pulsating music was at an ear-splitting level.
As many of his teammates dressed quickly with another game just 14 hours away, Cleveland’s star shortstop worked the room, exchanging high-fives with anyone he could find.
It’s almost unthinkable for a team to win 20 straight games.
Usually, that only happens in the movies.
“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 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 Aug. 24 in Boston, is tied for the majors’ second-longest in 82 years — and the Indians show no signs of stopping.
“It’s special,” Lindor said. “As a kid, you dream about playing in front of a lot of fans and the crowd goes nuts. That’s what you want. This is for them. It’s not for us.”
Lindor homered leading off the first and Corey Kluber (16-4) strengthened his Cy Young Award case with a five-hitter as Cleveland joined the 2002 A’s, 1935 Chicago Cubs (21) and 1916 New York Giants (26) as the only teams since 1900 to win at least 20 in a row.
“It’s pretty crazy,” Kluber said. “To go almost three weeks without losing a game is not something that you ever really expect.”
The Progressive Field crowd of 24,654, hanging on each pitch as though it was October, 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 single-file the same way they have for weeks to celebrate yet another win in this unlikely streak.
“For sure, it’s something special,” Lindor said. “It’s going to be there forever.”