Royals’ rally ends historic streak at 22
CLEVELAND — The streak is dead.
For the first time since Aug. 23, baseball’s hottest team didn’t have enough, with the Cleveland Indians falling to the Kansas City Royals 4-3 on Friday night before a crowd of 34,025 at Progressive Field.
The loss ended the Indians’ record winning streak at 22 games — the longest in the major leagues in 100 years and the longest ever in the American League. Only the 1916 New York Giants, who won 26 in a row, have a longer streak.
“What they did over there was amazing. I mean, it’s utterly amazing,” Royals manager Ned Yost said of
the Indians.
After the final out, the Indians received a standing ovation from the crowd. Indians players responded by pouring out of the dugout and applauding the support from the home fans. Progressive Field had a playoff-like atmosphere the past few days as the collective baseball world turned its eye to Cleveland, and Indians fans became caught up with the historic streak.
“I think it was appropriate. We haven’t lost a game in three weeks. We played a good game,” Indians outfielder Jay Bruce said. “It wasn’t like we got just blown out or anything.”
The Indians took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Francisco Lindor doubled off the wall — as he did in the ninth inning of Thursday’s game that led to their comeback win — and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Edwin Encarnacion against Royals starter Jason Vargas (16-10).
Two batters into the second, the Royals answered. With Trevor Bauer (16-9) on the mound, Alcides Escobar hit a solo home run to left field to tie it.
Jose Ramirez — the hottest hitter in the AL the past three weeks — then belted a two-run home run to left field in the third, putting the Indians back on top 3-1. It was his 27th home run of the season.
From there, the Royals overtook the Indians. Former Indians outfielder Brandon Moss drove a solo home run over the center-field wall to make it 3-2 in the fourth. An inning later, Lorenzo Cain doubled and came around on Eric Hosmer’s single to left to tie it at 3.
The Royals untied it in the sixth. Alex Gordon singled with one out to end Bauer’s night in favor of reliever Joe Smith. After a strikeout and a single, Cain sent a ball back up the middle to score Gordon in what turned out to be the decisive hit to end the streak.
The Indians couldn’t come up with the timely hit in the ninth against Royals reliever Mike Minor. Yandy Diaz singled to put the tying run on base, but Lindor struck out to end the game.