Streak show over at 22! Fans, Tribe tip caps

Transcription

1 Streak show over at 22! Fans, Tribe tip caps By Jordan Bastian and Jeffrey Flanagan / MLB.com 2:45 AM ET + 69 COMMENTS CLEVELAND -- Before the Indians captured the American League Central title a year ago, and emerged as the division leader again this season, the Royals wore the crown. Kansas City has long been a thorn in the Tribe's side, so it seemed fitting that it would be the Royals to finally end The Streak. With a 4-3 victory on Friday night, the Royals halted the Indians' AL-record run of 22 consecutive wins. Lorenzo Cain, Brandon Moss and Alcides Escobar accounted for enough offense and Mike Minor recorded his first career save to hand the Tribe its first loss since Aug. 23. It also ended the Indians' pursuit of the 1916 New York Giants' MLB-record 26-game winning streak. "We're all competitors," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "You don't want to lose, streak or no streak. What they did over there is amazing. Utterly amazing. Twenty-two? It's almost unfathomable to me that you can go three weeks without losing. Tremendous accomplishment." Following the final out, the crowd rose to its feet and offered the Indians a rousing standing ovation. Manager Terry Francona emerged from the dugout, alongside the entire coaching staff and players, clapped his hands, waved, and then doffed his cap to the fans. "They've been so supportive," Francona said. "It's just been pretty incredible how they've reacted and we just wanted to show our appreciation, because we don't take it for granted." Despite the loss, the Indians' magic number to clinch the division is two following the Twins' 4-3 loss to the Blue Jays on Friday. Cleveland dropped 4 1/2 back of the Dodgers for baseball's best record. As for the Royals, they moved to four games behind Minnesota in the race for the AL's second Wild Card. The Indians have insisted throughout this incredible and dominant stretch that they were not focusing on the streak. Well, they can now concentrate again on the bigger picture, which includes wrapping up a second straight AL Central championship and trying to return to and win the World Series. Asked about the streak being over, Francona said that is not how he views his team's situation. "I don't think anything is over," Francona said. "To me, it's just kind of a jumping off point. Where do we go from here? It's up. Common sense said you're going to lose a game. It was a lot of fun. We'll show up tomorrow, and my guess is we'll have real good energy and see if we can beat the Royals. Francona then smiled. "Maybe less national media here," he said. "That's probably the only difference. You can go and get some clean underwear, and we'll see if we can beat the Royals. How's that?" Facing Indians starter Trevor Bauer (four runs allowed in 5 1/3 innings), Escobar launched a one-out homer in the second and Moss added one of his own in the fourth. The Indians scored first for the 20th time in the past 23 games, but Kansas City kept answering. Escobar's shot tied the game at 1 run apiece and Eric Hosmer's RBI single in the fifth drew things even at 3. Cain, who finished with three hits and a walk, put the Royals ahead for good with an RBI single in the sixth. Royals left-hander Mike Minor got his first career save, striking out the side in the ninth, including Francisco Lindor, who for the second straight night came up with the tying run on first and two out. "I was amped up, for sure," Minor said. "It was different. Different situation. But I just felt like every pitch meant something. It does every time, but the crowd is into it. It's the bottom of the ninth. I just tried to make every pitch count." The Indians' lineup, which posted a.937 OPS in the previous 22 wins, received a 2-run home run from Jose Ramirez in the third for a 3-1 lead. As Ramirez tore around the bases, fans erupted in chants of "M-V-P! M-V-P!" The blast was his 27th of the season and ninth in the past 23 games. In that span, Ramirez helped power the offense with a.413/.451/.947 slash line. Royals lefty Jason Vargas (five innings) was on the hook for that homer and was charged with all three runs. Kansas City's lineup picked up Vargas, and the bullpen came up big when Cleveland threatened throughout the game. This time, though, The Streak would not live on. "The magnitude of it really didn't hit me until last night's game," Bauer said. "The intensity ratcheted up really high. So tonight, it was a battle all the way through. Shoot, up to last night, everything was pretty smooth sailing. That was a [heck] of a run." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Cain was able: After the Royals chased Bauer in the sixth, they kept their rally going against sidearmer Joe Smith. With two out, Whit Merrifield singled to right to bring Cain to the plate. The outfielder kept his strong night going by ripping a pitch up the middle, just past Smith and beyond the reach of a diving Lindor. Alex Gordon scored from second on the play to give the Royals a 4-3 lead. "Some days you swing the bat well, some days you don't," Cain said. "Tonight was a good night. So you try to improve off the night." Huge double play: With the Royals' bullpen depleted, Yost turned to right-hander Trevor Cahill in the seventh. Cahill promptly walked two of the first three hitters he faced. But with pinch-runner Tyler Naquin on second base representing the potential tying run, and Lindor on first, Cahill got Austin Jackson to bounce a two-seam fastball into the ground right at shortstop Escobar, who started a double play to end the threat. "Cahill, what a job he did," Yost said. "He was our most rested guy. He's a veteran guy, you know he's just going to come in and attack. We felt good about bringing him in there." QUOTABLES "The [streak], it was fun. I still can't believe we lost. It was going to end at some point. Now, all we've got to do is get everybody in good shape for October and win 11 games." -- Smith "He deserves it. He deserves it. He's right up there in the conversation for the best player in this league this year. There's still a lot of time left for him to help his case, and I have no doubt that he will." -- Indians outfielder Jay Bruce, on the MVP chants for Ramirez "Twenty-two-game win streaks aren't kind to me. It's the second one I've blown. In 2010 at UCLA, we started off 22-0 and I was the losing pitcher in that game, too. Have someone else pitch for 23." -- Bauer BRUCE'S FOUR-STAR CATCH Leading off the eighth inning against Indians reliever Dan Otero, Escobar chased an 0-2 slider low and away and flared it out to right field. Bruce came sprinting in on the ball before making an all-out sliding catch to rob Escobar of a hit. According to Statcast, Bruce's play had a catch probability of 41 percent, as he had to cover 72 feet in 4.3 seconds, making it a four-star catch.

2 WHAT'S NEXT Royals: Right-hander Jason Hammel (8-11, 4.91 ERA) will start the third game of this series against the Indians on Saturday at 3:10 p.m. CT. Hammel had his shortest outing since April on Monday against the White Sox, going 3 1/3 innings while giving up five runs in an 11-3 loss. Indians: Right-hander Carlos Carrasco will take the mound at 4:10 p.m. ET on Saturday against the Royals at Progressive Field. In his last four starts, Carrasco is 3-0 with a 0.62 ERA and 34 strikeouts against one walk. In 29 innings across those outings, he has held opposing hitters to a.210/.224/.267 slash line. Covering the Bases: W22 by Jordan Bastian FIRST: Only a few of the toothbrush-shaped light standards remained on as the clock approached 2 am on Friday morning in Cleveland. The sound of honking horns had halted and the fans who moved the party to downtown bars were hitting last call or heading home. That is when the Indians clinched their place in the 2017 postseason. Out on the West Coast, the Astros defeated the Angels, a win with a ripple effect that punched Cleveland s October ticket. At Progressive Field, there were no fireworks, no spraying champagne, no mob of reporters wearing ponchos. And, that was fitting. The Indians have taken a business-as-usual approach to this incredible and historic run they are on, so quietly sealing a spot on the postseason stage fell right in line. There are bigger things at stake to the men in Cleveland s clubhouse. Making the playoffs is only step one. We re trying to get the best record in baseball, Indians outfielder Jay Bruce said. Let that one sink in for a moment. It wasn t that long ago, really, that Sports Illustrated slapped a Best. Team. Ever? headline on a story about the Dodgers. It wasn t that long ago, really, that everyone just assumed the Astros were going to run away with the American League s top seed. It wasn t that long ago, really, that the Indians were seemingly treading water while dealing with an assortment of injuries, and trying to hit their stride in an AL Central race that was far too close for comfort. After the Indians lost on Aug. 23, Indians manager Terry Francona offered this comment: Sometimes you don t have everybody. That doesn t mean you can t win. It just can be a little more challenging. Rather than back down, just keep fighting. Cleveland has since gone It s been written about in this space here previously, but since The Streak continues to live on, even after momentarily being on life support on Thursday night, let s revisit how the standings have changed in less than two months. I ll use July 22, because that s when Cleveland was a season-high 14 games back of Houston for the AL s top record. Best MLB records on July 22 Dodgers ( ) Astros (1.5 GB) Nationals (8) D-backs (10.5) Rockies (10.5) Red Sox (12.5) Brewers (15) Indians (15.5) Best MLB records on Sept. 14 Dodgers ( ) Indians (3.5) Nationals (5) Astros (6) D-backs (9.5) Red Sox (11) Yankees (14) Cubs (14) That s a record for the Indians during that time period, which has vaulted them to the top of the AL and within striking distance of the Dodgers for home-field advantage in the World Series. The fact that Cleveland can clinch the division title this weekend is insane, given where the team was just a couple weeks ago in the playoff picture.

3 To that point, I made sure to book that the entire West Coast trip that s coming up, because it was mathematically realistic that the Tribe would clinch during those stretch of games. It was going to take something like a 22-game winning streak for the champagne to pop on this homestand. I mean, that wasn t going to happen, right? Cleveland then said: Hold my beer. I m going to keep saying it: It s a testament to this team, Indians starter Josh Tomlin said. You play every out like we do, you pitch like we do, you do the little things like we do, practice like we do, everything we do, we do it together and we do it to try to be good. I think that s just a testament to the hard work that we ve done throughout the course of the year to be able to clinch this year or clinch this homestand. It d be nice to do it in front of our home fans. I don t think we got to do that at all last year. Thanks to The Streak, they might just get that chance. SECOND: After Thursday s win, Francona walked into the interview room, took his place at the podium and quietly said: The Curse of Tubby is over. Earlier in the week, Francona said he has a long-time friend who he avoids communicating with at all costs when things are going well. The manager called him the gray cloud and said he hadn t spoken to him during The Streak. Until Wednesday night. I went out on a limb last night and called him, Francona said before Thursday s game. I actually texted him. I called him and he sent me to voic . And then he texted me, and then I called him and he picked up and said, You sure you want to do this? Like, man, I haven t talked to you in three weeks. If we lose tonight, there is more to this thing. Francona agreed to talk, knowing his friend s incredible jinx powers. This guy is superhuman, man. It s unbelievable, Francona said. And it s funny because he said he got about 10 calls, and I never brought his name up, but everyone knew who it was. Who is the mystery malocchio? Bill Tubby Kinneberg, a former college teammate of Francona s and the baseball coach at University of Utah. Well, the old friends spoke and not even The Gray Cloud could stop the Indians historic run. That s just how good things are going for the Tribe these days. THIRD: I don t need to tell you about Bruce s walk-off heroics from Thursday night. By now, you ve seen the videos, heard Tom Hamilton s HISTORY MARCHES ON! call and, hopefully, read all the stories. Well, in case you didn t do that last bit of business, you can check out A column from Anthony Castrovince HERE, and another fantastic piece by Joe Posnanski HERE, and read our game story HERE, and read about Francisco Lindor s leadership and critical hit HERE, and read about Jose Ramirez s furious sprint for this 50th double HERE, and read about Andrew Miller s return HERE, and check out all the Did You Knows you could ever hope for HERE, and get more info on the Indians clinching a playoff sport HERE. I ll wait. OK, are you all caught up? Well, then it s time to give you the run-down on all the updated Streak Stats as you prepare for tonight s game, which would be W23 and move Cleveland one step closer to the MLB-record streak of 26 wins by the 1916 New York Giants. Pitching 199 IP 1.58 ERA 0.93 WHIP 200 K-37 BB.208 AVG.252 OBP.289 SLG Rot: 1.77 ERA Pen: 1.17 ERA Offense 142 runs scored 102 extra-base hits

4 41 home runs.306 AVG.385 OBP.552 SLG Run differential: +105 Innings trailed: 8 out of 199 Innings 1 3 runs: CLE 69, Others 14 HOME: And, yes, I am now firmly in the camp of people who think the 26-game winning streak is legit. Things were different a century ago and a suspended/replayed game is much different than a straight-up tie game. If you re not up to speed on all the details, MLB.com s Doug Miller had a great story on that earlier this week HERE. What s fun is the fact that we re even debating a game that took place more than 100 years ago. If only Christy Mathewson could tweet out his thoughts on the matter. The official bookkeepers and historians for MLB will tell you you re wrong to think the Giants own the record. Call it fake news, if you want, but those are the facts. And, to the it-doesn t-matter-unless-the-indians-win-it-all crowd, no, this does matter. And, it s fun. Enjoy it. This is history, and it s the kind of thing that shouldn t happen in modern baseball. The packed house on Thursday night was intense. It felt like a postseason game, and there will be a sellout tonight, too. It s October in September, and know that these Indians players are soaking up every second of it. Maybe The Streak isn t the longest one ever (yet?), but it s certainly been the most dominant streak of its kind in baseball history. It s safe to say we re in uncharted territory, Bruce said. You can t draw this stuff up, man. You really can t. Indians, fans savor magical run as streak ends By Jordan Bastian / September 15th, COMMENTS CLEVELAND -- After Francisco Lindor struck out, bringing an end to the Indians' incredible and historic winning streak, the Cleveland crowd rose to its feet and roared. Rare is the defeat that is followed with a standing ovation, but the fans in attendance understood the magnitude of this moment. In the immediate wake of Friday night's 4-3 loss to the Royals, the moment was not lost on the Indians, either. Manager Terry Francona walked up the dugout steps and waved his hat to the crowd. Cleveland's players and coaches also stepped onto the field, clapping for the fans who created an October-like energy on these recent September nights, while their Tribe ran off an American League-record 22 consecutive wins. "That was pretty cool," Indians reliever Joe Smith said. "Everybody had a part in it. For the crowd to acknowledge that, that's a class act on Cleveland's part." The Streak will forever go down in Indians lore, but this was also a run that was historic on an even grander scale. Cleveland's 22-game run eclipsed the previous mark of 20, which was set by the A's and made famous by the book and movie, "Moneyball." The streak also surpassed the previous second-longest Major League run of 21 games by the 1935 Cubs. That will not remove the sting of last season's World Series loss to Chicago, but it is bragging rights for Tribe fans. The only streak on record that is longer was a 26-game winning streak by the 1916 New York Giants. The Indians' streak was amazing, incredible, unfathomable and fitting of just about any other superlative out there. After the loss, music blared from the Indians' clubhouse, just as it does after wins. "We haven't lost a game in three weeks," said Tribe outfielder Jay Bruce, who was the walk-off hero for win No. 22 on Thursday night. "We played a good game. It wasn't like we got just blown out or anything. I think [it was important] to have a bit of a light-hearted attitude about it all, and not take it too hard, obviously, because we're in a great position." Prior to the fight put up by the Royals these past two nights, Cleveland really had not been tested during its record run. During the 22-game streak, the Indians' pitching staff turned in a 1.58 ERA and the offense posted a.937 OPS. Cleveland had a plus-105 run differential in that span with an average score of 6.8 to 1.7. The Tribe had more home runs hit (41) than total runs allowed (37). The rotation went 19-0 with a 1.77 ERA and the bullpen had a 1.17 ERA. The Indians outscored their opponents, 69-14, in the first three innings combined. Thanks to its run, Cleveland's magic number to clinch the AL Central is down to two. There are many mind-bending statistics from The Streak, but one of the best nuggets is the fact that Cleveland only trailed after eight of the 199 innings in those 22 games. Four of those came Thursday, when the Indians pulled off the walk-off win. On Friday, Cleveland trailed at the end of four innings again, but that included the ninth, resulting in the club's first trip to the loss column since Aug. 23. "We hadn't been behind in any of the games for very long at all," Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer said. "Up to last night, everything was pretty smooth sailing. That was a [heck] of a run." Fans showed their appreciation by pouring through the stadium's gates and helping SportsTime Ohio post its highest-rated Indians game ever (Thursday). When the crowd cheered for the streak, rather than get consumed in the loss, the Indians wanted to show their appreciation, too. "The atmosphere around here is incredible," Francona said. "We don't take it for granted." Magic number 2, Tribe eyes AL Central crown By Jeffrey Flanagan / MLB.com 12:50 AM ET + 1 COMMENT With The Streak over at 22 consecutive wins, the Indians and the Royals turn their attention to more pressing matters: The playoffs.

5 The Indians, who already have secured a postseason berth, can clinch the American League Central title with a win on Saturday against the Royals and a loss by the Twins, who play the Blue Jays. The Royals sit four games back of the Twins for the second AL Wild Card spot. First thing's first: Royals right-hander Jason Hammel (8-11, 4.91 ERA) will square off against Indians righty Carlos Carrasco (15-6, 3.41) in the third of a four-game set at Progressive Field. "It would be great to do it in front of [our] fans," Indians outfielder Jay Bruce said. "Obviously, I only have been here a short amount of time, and the time that I have been here, this has been an awesome place and the fans have been great." Reliever Dan Otero was in agreement. "Yeah, I think it would be really cool [to clinch at home]," Otero said. "Last year, every time we clinched was on the road. We unfortunately couldn't clinch at home there at the end of the season, so I think it will be really neat for the fans. It's not something that we are really thinking about right now, but we all kind of know that it's close. We're getting there." Three things to know about this game Hammel is coming off his shortest outing since April going 3 1/3 innings on Monday and giving up five runs in an 11-3 loss to the White Sox. Carrasco will have to be careful with Royals second baseman Whit Merrifield. Though he only has eight at-bats against Carrasco, Merrifield has four hits, including a home run. Carrasco last pitched against the Royals on Aug earning the victory in the Tribe's 12-0 win at Progressive Filed. Carrasco threw seven shutout innings and struck out eight. Let's honor The Streak with some awards By Anthony Castrovince / 1:15 AM ET + 0 COMMENTS CLEVELAND -- When it was over, Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas turned and tipped his cap to the Tribe dugout, the 34,025 in attendance at Progressive Field rose to their feet and applauded the home club and the members of said club strolled out of the dugout, turned to the audience and applauded them right back. The Streak, as it forever shall be known in local baseball lore, ended Friday night with a 4-3 loss. The Indians' American League record stretch of 22 straight wins came so inconceivably close to the all-time mark of 26 set by the 1916 New York Giants and, given the context of the respective eras, was arguably the most impressive run of regular-season baseball the sport has ever seen. "I still can't believe we lost," reliever Joe Smith said in the aftermath. The Indians can now turn their focus to their upcoming American League Central clincher (their magic number is down to two) and the challenge of ending the game's longest World Series championship drought at 69 years. But before they do, let's salute The Streak one last time. If we can have monthly awards and awards for best-of-seven postseason series, surely we can honor this four-week stretch of baseball brilliance with some imaginary hardware. Ladies and gentlemen... The Streakies! Best Hitter and Most Valuable Player: Jose Ramirez Tough call here, because Francisco Lindor really sprung to life during The Streak (.360/.427/.767 slash with nine homers). His leadoff production was a huge reason the Indians were able to ambush teams so consistently in this stretch. But Ramirez slashed -- and this is not a misprint /.462/.944. You got that? He had a.944 slugging percentage! To put that in perspective, 81 percent of qualified hitters during this timeframe had a lower OPS than Ramirez's SLG. Because of a sore wrist, Ramirez only played 18 games to Lindor's 21, and, despite batting leadoff, Lindor had 20 RBIs to Ramirez's 14. But when in the lineup, Ramirez, a clear American League MVP and Best Major Leaguer candidate for the MLB Awards, was the extra-basecompiling, helmet-losing igniter he's been all year. His double set up the walkoff in Win No. 22 and, as The Streak ended Friday night, he tried valiantly to keep it alive, drilling a pitch at shoulder-height over the left-field wall for a two-run blast. Best Starting Pitcher: Mike Clevinger Corey Kluber is this club's AL Cy Young candidate and perhaps even the favorite in part because The Streak started with the Indians shelling Chris Sale for seven runs in three innings. He went 4-0 with a 1.41 ERA, 0.65 WHIP and.170 average against with 35 strikeouts against two walks in 32 innings. Carlos Carrasco outdueled even The Klubot during this stretch, going 3-0 with a 0.62, 0.62 ERA, 0.62 WHIP and a.210 average against and 34 strikeouts against just one walk in 29 innings. But the revelation in the run was the long-haired Clevinger, who came through with a 4-0 record, 0.38 ERA,.186 average against with 28 strikeouts in 23 2/3 innings. You could go with any of these guys for this Streakie, but Clevinger is representative of how a run like this doesn't happen without unheralded players rising to the occasion. Best Relief Pitcher: Cody Allen Shoutout to right-hander Dan Otero and lefty Tyler Olson, who both stepped into more prominent setup roles with Andrew Miller on the shelf for all but one game of The Streak. Neither allowed a run in a combined 12 1/3 innings. But it was the closer Allen whose untouchability was the true back-end signature of The Streak. Allen worked 11 scoreless innings in 11 games of the 22-game run, notched two wins and six saves by allowing just six hits with three walks and 14 strikeouts. Dominant. Best Defensive Player: Giovanny Urshela When Jason Kipnis returns from the disabled list on Sunday, he will do so in center field, not second base. Life sneaks up on you fast when the entire complexion of the infield defense changes in your absence. Ramirez took over for Kipnis at second, and the young Urshela and rookie Yandy Diaz both provided some great glovework at the hot corner. Urshela played in each and every one of the first 21 wins of The Streak, primarily as a defensive replacement, making him something of an unsung hero. But this terrific diving stop and throw to get a force in the AL record-setting 21st straight win was easily one of the best defensive gems of the run and an indication of how valuable his glove was as the Indians protected their leads. Best Moment: Lindor's game-tying double in No. 22

6 This could qualify as blasphemy, but, having been at both games, I can say without hesitation that the pure, unadulterated elation that broke out at Progressive Field when Lindor doubled off the wall to bring home the tying run with two outs and two strikes in the bottom of the ninth in win No. 22 on Thursday was a close -- not exact, of course, but close -- approximation of the reacion to David Freese's Game 6 triple in We're talking stadium-shaking. And that kind of stuff just does not happen on Sept. 14. Best Social Media The Streak brought out the best in baseball Twitter, but obviously we've got to throw some love specifically to the Tribe's official account, which unsurprisingly put together a performance worthy of The Streak. Though reviewing funny tweets is as subjective as evaluating any art form, this one was strong to quite strong... even though No. 23 didn't happen. This is the insatiable nature of streaking put to picture. It's hard to be content with one number when there's always a more attractive one looming right around the corner. Ramirez again. In win No. 11, he became just the 13th player in history to rip off five extra-base hits -- two homers and three doubles -- in an 11-1 win over the Tigers. He had some humorous help with both homers, as left fielder Mikie Mahtook accidentally swatted one ball over the wall with his bare hand and another bounced off Alex Presley's glove. Whatever works. Best Individual Performance, Pitching: Kluber on Sept. 12 We denied him the Best Pitcher Streakie, but you've got to go with Kluber for Best Performance for his complete-game shutout of the Tigers in the AL-record-tying 20th win on Tuesday. Kluber struck out eight, walked none and gave up five hits. That was Kluber's Major League-high (tied with the Twins' Ervin Santana) third shutout of the season, and it was especially impressive given the historical ramifications of that 2-0 win. Best Manager: Terry Francona Well, yeah, duh. But it just feels important to point out that this ridiculous run began just seven weeks after Tito underwent a cardiac ablation procedure. Not even John McGraw can say that. Biggest Bummer: Bradley Zimmer's injury No, it wasn't all wine and roses. In keeping with a season theme, the outfield came out of The Streak with a bunch of battered bodies. The biggest bummer was the broken left hand bone suffered by center fielder Zimmer in No. 18 on Sunday -- an injury that has clear postseason ramifications for this club. In the immediate, it ushers in that "Kipnis in center field" experiment, which ought to be interesting, and even though Zimmer had been struggling at the plate in recent weeks, it hurts the club's speed and defense profile. Zimmer is expected to miss six to eight weeks (so, the rest of the season), though the Indians aren't ruling out a quicker-than-anticipated recovery. Best Stat: the ratio of home runs hit to runs allowed Oh my. There were so many notorious numbers in The Streak. The Indians trailed at the end of just eight of the 199 innings. Their.937 team OPS was 54 points higher than the next-best team OPS (the Twins). Their 1.58 ERA was 1.15 points better than the next-best team ERA (D-backs). They had nine wins of five runs or more against just four of one run. They posted a plus-105 run differential (142-37) -- better than that of all but six teams for the entirety of the 2017 season. They turned a 4 1/2-game lead on the Twins in the AL Central into a 13 1/2-game lead, and they turned a 7 1/2-game deficit to the Astros in the race for the AL's No. 1 postseason seed into a 2 1/2-game lead. And because their Streak coincided with the Dodgers' equally incredible slump, they turned a 20-game hole in the race for the best record in baseball into just a 3 1/2-game deficit. The Indians won more games in this Streak than two of their division opponents -- the White Sox and Tigers -- have won in the second half! But nothing spoke to the utter dominance of the run quite like the Indians going deep more times (41) than their opponent crossed the plate (37). This Streak was unlike anything the game had ever seen. It was definitely award-worthy. Indians believe Ramirez is making MVP case By William Kosileski / MLB.com 12:30 AM ET + 0 COMMENTS CLEVELAND -- After Indians second baseman Jose Ramirez crossed home plate and returned to the Indians' dugout following his two-run homer in the third inning of Friday night's 4-3 loss to the Royals, chants of "M-V-P" echoed throughout Progressive Field. Even though the Tribe's American League-record 22-game winning streak came to an end, Ramirez showed no signs of slowing down. The All- Star had been scalding at the plate throughout the Tribe's historic streak, and he continued with Friday's blast into the left-field bleachers off Royals starter Jason Vargas. "He deserves it. He deserves it," Indians right fielder Jay Bruce said. "He's right up there in the conversation for the best player in this league this year. There's still a lot of time left for him to help his case, and I have no doubt that he will." DYK: Final facts from Tribe's 22-game streak Given the impressive nature of the win streak, manager Terry Francona said the national coverage that the team has received can help Ramirez's bid for the award. "That's the one really nice thing," Francona said. "That gives me a platform to brag about our guys because I love doing it. I think they deserve it. It won't be the last time." Ramirez's 27th homer of the season traveled a projected 425 feet, according to Statcast. It marked the switch-hitter's third-longest homer of the season, and his second-longest from the right side of the plate. Ramirez swung at a shoulder-high, 1-1 fastball from Vargas and did not miss it. According to Statcast, the pitch was 3.71 feet off the ground, which is the highest hit for a home run by an Indians player this season. It also marked the highest pitch that Ramirez has hit for a home run since Statcast was introduced in "Yeah, he whacked it pretty good," Francona said of Ramirez's home run. In the Tribe's last 23 games, Ramirez has posted a slash line of.413/.451/.960 with nine homers, 11 doubles, one triple, 16 RBIs and 18 runs scored. In that span, Ramirez has only struck out three times in 75 at-bats (82 plate appearances). On the season, Ramirez is hitting.313 with 83 extra-base hits homers, an MLB-leading 50 doubles and six triples. He has also posted a.943 OPS to go along with 75 RBIs, 99 runs scored and only 64 strikeouts.

7 "It's unbelievable," Joe Smith said of Ramirez's season. "That's the coolest thing if you're fortunate enough to stay around this game and you see the guys come up [from the Minors].... It's cool watching them turn into unbelievable big leaguers." While Bruce acknowledged that there are other worthy candidates for AL MVP, he thinks Ramirez should be given plenty of consideration for the award. "He's got it in him, that's for sure. I look forward to him continuing to be himself," Bruce said. "I think that's the biggest thing in this whole deal. This whole time, he's been himself. He's just playing. He's preparing and he's ready, and he's fun to watch. He's a big part of this team, so we'll see." DYK: Final facts from Tribe's 22-game streak By Matt Kelly, David Adler and Andrew Simon / MLB.com 12:43 AM ET + 82 COMMENTS It had to end sometime, and on Friday, the ending finally came. It wasn't without a lot of pride in the city of Cleveland. Though the Indians fell to the American League Central-rival Royals, 4-3, on Friday night, the Tribe can still hold its heads high having completed the second-longest win streak in baseball history, at 22 games. That effort garnered a standing ovation from the sold-out crowd at Progressive Field, and the Indians now can turn their attention back toward getting situated for the upcoming postseason. Already a preseason favorite to return to the World Series and avenge its Game 7 loss to the Cubs last fall, the Tribe is surging into October as a team on a mission. Here are some facts and figures to know as we look back one more time at the Indians' historic run: As mentioned, the Indians' 22-game streak is the second-longest win streak in the history of Major League Baseball dating back to Only the 1916 New York Giants -- who rattled off 26 straight wins -- have put together a longer run of victories. The Indians can hang their hats on having recorded the longest win streak in AL history. That used to be 20 straight wins, by the 2002 A's, in a streak that helped inspire both the bestselling book Moneyball by Michael Lewis, and later the Academy Award-nominated film. The Indians far surpassed their 14-game winning streak from last season, which was previously the longest in franchise history. Cleveland is the first team since the Cubs -- and only the third club in MLB history -- to have compiled 14-game winning streaks in back-to-back seasons. The only other club to accomplish the feat was the '12-13 New York Giants. The Indians' 15-0 start to September prior to Friday's loss tied them with the 1991 Twins (June) and '77 Royals (September) for the best start to any calendar month in baseball history. The Indians outscored their opponents over the course of their 22 straight wins. They scored in double digits six times, and the pitching staff completed seven shutouts in that span. Cleveland had not trailed at the end of 191 of 199 full innings over the course of its 22 straight victories, and it extended that run to 196 of 204 innings before trailing Kansas City over the final four frames of Friday's loss. In terms of run differential, at plus-105, the Indians recorded the best 22-game stretch in franchise history, far surpassing July 5-23, 1923, when they outscored opponents by 76 runs. Cleveland's run differential was plus-55 (82-27) during last year's 14-game winning streak. Going back to 1900, only three teams -- the '39 Yankees (plus-132), '33 Senators (plus-114) and '04 Giants (plus-108) -- had compiled a run differential of plus-105 or higher over any 22-game stretch before Cleveland. To the head of the class On the morning of Aug. 24, the Indians owned a record and a still-tenuous 4-1/2 game lead over the Twins in the AL Central. By winning 22 in a row after that, the Tribe raised itself to a season-high 35 games above.500 at before Friday's loss. Its magic number to clinch the division title is down to two. Last season's AL-pennant-winning Indians team finished the 2016 regular season 27 games above.500 with a record. With a division title within their grasp, the Indians are suddenly in the mix for even bigger honors. The Indians trailed the Astros by 14 games for the AL's best record back on July 22, and they still trailed by 7 1/2 games before their win streak began. Now, as the streak comes to a close, Cleveland enjoys a 2 1/2-game lead over Houston in the race for home-field advantage throughout the AL postseason. The Tribe's surge, coupled with a stunning drop-off out west, has brought another fascinating race to the forefront. The Dodgers' record stood at a robust on the morning of Aug. 23 before they dropped a heartbreaking game to the Pirates on a night in which Rich Hill carried a nohitter through nine innings. The Indians didn't lose their next 22 games, while the Dodgers tripped to an MLB-worst 5-16 record in that span, including losses in 16 of 19 games. That means Cleveland, improbably, is just 4 1/2 games back of Los Angeles for the best record in the Major Leagues with just over two weeks remaining. This race could be key, as 2017 marks the first year in baseball history in which home-field advantage in the Fall Classic will be determined by the club with the best regular-season record. Shutdown pitching Indians starters allowed just 27 earned runs in 137 2/3 innings pitched over their 22 straight victories, for an impressive 1.77 ERA while earning the win in 19 of them. Indians starters allowed two runs or fewer in 19 of the Tribe's 22 wins. Corey Kluber (five runs in 32 innings) and Carlos Carrasco (two runs in 29 innings) were especially dominant, combining for 69 strikeouts and three walks during the streak. The two pitchers have a chance to get Cleveland right back on track with consecutive starts this weekend. Kluber is now 9-2 at Progressive Field this season with a 1.93 ERA. Should he remain at that level, Kluber would become the first Indians pitcher to record a sub-2.00 ERA at home over at least 100 innings pitched since Sam McDowell (1.79) in Cleveland's bullpen was as impressive as the rotation during the streak. Tribe relievers combined to allow just eight earned runs over 61 1/3 innings (MLB-low 1.17 ERA), coughing up just two home runs and 11 walks while striking out 61 batters. They've done all that while getting just one inning from Andrew Miller, who returned to action with a scoreless frame Thursday. One of the Indians' unsung heroes of the streak was left-handed reliever Tyler Olson, whom the Indians called up from Triple-A Columbus in late July when fellow lefty relievers Boone Logan and Miller went down with injury. While the Indians lost Friday, Olson came in and retired Eric Hosmer to extend his personal streak to 23 straight scoreless appearances since his callup. Olson now owns the fourth-longest streak of

8 scoreless outings to open a pitcher's season on record (since at least 1913). Former reliever Will Ohman is next on the list with 25 straight scoreless appearances for the Orioles in April The Indians' seven team shutouts during the streak were more than 13 of the 29 other MLB teams had recorded all season, including the Nationals (five shutouts), who clinched the National League East title last Sunday. The Cubs and Yankees, who both had six, were two other postseason contenders with fewer than seven shutouts on the year. Keep pounding the drum The Indians scored early and often during the streak, plating the first run in 19 of their 22 wins. They've outscored their opponents over the first three innings in that span. In a season poised to set the all-time mark for most combined home runs by MLB hitters, it's only fitting that the Indians' 41 home runs are the most clubbed by any team over a win streak of any length in baseball history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Cleveland hit more home runs during the streak than the total number of runs its pitchers allowed. All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor helped seal the last win of the streak Thursday, knocking a game-tying RBI double off the left-field wall with two outs in the ninth inning before Jay Bruce walked it off in the 10th. Lindor put up an eye-popping.360/.427/.767 slash line with nine home runs over the Indians' 22 straight wins. Though it came in the Indians' first loss in weeks, Lindor's first-inning double Friday gave him an extra-base hit in nine straight games, tying him with Hal Trotsky (1934) for the longest such streak by an Indians hitter within a single season. Lindor's homer in Tuesday's win (No. 20) was his 30th of the season. At age 23, that makes him the youngest shortstop to have a 30-homer season since Alex Rodriguez did in his age-23 season for the Mariners in Lindor's middle-infield mate Jose Ramirez was arguably even more impressive during the streak, especially in Thursday's 4-for-4 performance, which included two doubles and a walk. It was the third time in those 22 victories that Ramirez notched at least four hits in a game, including a 5-for-5 effort on Sept. 3 at Detroit. Ramirez now has five games with at least four hits this season, becoming the fourth Indians player to do that since 1967, joining Asdrubal Cabrera (2009), Carlos Baerga ('93) and Joe Carter ('86). In 19 games during the streak, the second baseman put up an incredible.423/.462/.944 with nine homers of his own. He also tacked on another home run in Friday's loss. Ramirez, the AL's leader in extra-base hits, has knocked more than twice as many extra-base hits (21) than singles (10) since Cleveland's streak kicked off on Aug. 24. Ramirez's two doubles on Thursday gave him 50 for the season and made him the first Indians player to reach that mark since Grady Sizemore hit 53 two-baggers in Ramirez and Sizemore are two of the seven players to post a 50-double, 25-homer season at age 24 or younger, along with Miguel Cabrera, Albert Pujols (twice), Rodriguez, Hank Greenberg and Lou Gehrig. The Indians' lineup batted.306 and slugged.551 as a unit while winning 22 games in a row. Both of those marks are the best in baseball. Kipnis eyes Sunday return, first action in CF By William Kosileski / MLB.com September 15th, COMMENTS CLEVELAND -- While rehabbing his right hamstring strain, Jason Kipnis has been shagging fly balls in center field during Indians batting practice. Kipnis may get a chance to play the new position in a game on Sunday against the Royals at Progressive Field. Prior to Friday night's game, Indians manager Terry Francona said the hope is for Kipnis to be activated from the 10-day disabled list on Sunday morning to make his first career appearance in center field. "I think the medical people still need to sign off on him playing Sunday," Francona said, "but I think everything points towards that. He's done everything in his power. He's answered everything they've thrown at him, he has done really well. So I'll bet you that you'll see him Sunday." Francona plans on getting the two-time All-Star plenty of reps in center when Kipnis returns to action with the Indians, beginning with five innings on Sunday. "He's going to play a lot of games [in center]," Francona said. "He's going to play five innings on Sunday, off Monday, and then some of it is going to depend on how he feels. They're going to kind of guide us at least through the first week because it's still, you know, we need their help so we don't overextend somebody that hasn't played very much." Kipnis, who has played second base throughout his six-year career, along with occasionally serving as a designated hitter -- has not played the outfield since 2009 with Class A Mahoning Valley. The need for Kipnis in center came after rookie Bradley Zimmer broke his hand while sliding into first base on Sunday. Additionally, Francona realizes the club has a good thing going in the infield with shortstop Francisco Lindor and second baseman Jose Ramirez up the middle. In 79 games between a couple stints on the DL this season, Kipnis is hitting.228/.285/.409 with 11 homers, 22 doubles, 30 RBIs and 38 runs scored. Chisenhall's calf to be examined Outfielder Lonnie Chisenhall left Thursday's game after the fourth inning with tightness in his right calf. Although the club announced that he was removed from the game for precautionary reasons, Francona said Chisenhall will undergo tests. "He came in [Friday] not feeling any worse, which is really good," Francona said. "So we're going to let him get examined by the doctor, and I think we're all hoping that this is day to day as opposed to more." Worth noting Francona said relief ace Andrew Miller, who was activated from the DL on Thursday (right knee patellar tendinitis), will not pitch again until Sunday. Miller pitched a scoreless inning in the Indians' 3-2 walk-off victory in 10 innings over the Royals on Thursday night. Francona also said All-Star left fielder Michael Brantley is "frustrated" with limited progress in his rehab from a right ankle sprain. The Indians are looking to get a second opinion on Brantley's ankle. Zimmer returned to the club on Friday and spent some time in the clubhouse. Francona said Zimmer was tired of sitting at home while the Indians extended their winning streak. "He just wants to sit in the dugout because he's going to lose his mind at home," Francona said. "The fact that he wants to be around is really good, and I think that's healthy for him to be around."

9 Tribe's focus on earning home-field advantage By William Kosileski / MLB.com 3:20 AM ET + 0 COMMENTS CLEVELAND -- On Thursday night at Progressive Field, the Indians' remarkable winning streak extended to 22 games thanks to Jay Bruce's walk-off double in the 10th inning against the Royals. But a few hours after the thrilling 3-2 victory -- after the players and coaches had left the clubhouse and the lights at the ballpark were turned off -- some exciting news broke for the American League Central-leading Tribe. With the win over the Royals and the Astros' late-night victory over the Angels, the Indians officially punched their ticket to the postseason. "We never want to rely on anyone else to make sure things are taken care of," Bruce said. "But we've put ourselves in position by playing well all season to have some of that happen." Although the Tribe will be playing playoff baseball for a second straight season, some players were not aware that the team had clinched a postseason berth until they woke up on Friday morning. "That's what I've been hearing," reliever Dan Otero said. "I don't know about everybody else, but I personally was not aware of that [Thursday night]. "I noticed it this morning when I pulled up [Indians.com] on my phone and it said, 'buy your postseason gear.' And I was like, 'We're already selling postseason gear?' And then it explained that when the Angels lost last night, we clinched a postseason berth. So that's pretty cool." The Indians are the first team in the AL to clinch a playoff spot this season, and only the second team in the Majors to do so. The National League West-leading Dodgers ensured their trip to the postseason on Tuesday with a victory over the Giants. While the Indians' magic number to clinch the AL Central dropped to two despite Friday's 4-3 loss to the Royals, the players realize they have an opportunity to celebrate a division title in front of the home fans. "I think it would be really cool," Otero said. "Last year, every time we clinched was on the road. We unfortunately couldn't clinch at home there at the end of the season, so I think it will be really neat for the fans. It's not something that we are really thinking about right now, but we all kind of know that it's close. We're getting there." Last season, the Indians clinched the division in Detroit and home-field advantage for the AL Division Series against the Red Sox in Kansas City. In the postseason, the Indians won the ALDS in Boston and clinched their trip to the World Series in Toronto before losing Game 7 of the World Series to the Cubs at Progressive Field. "It would be great to do it in front of the fans," Bruce said. "Obviously, I only have been here a short amount of time. But the time that I have been here, this has been an awesome place and the fans have been great. They've been nothing but the most supportive, and really have added an element to the season." Bruce said the team securing a playoff spot during this 10-game homestand is a product of the incredible winning streak. Despite this, he noted that there is still work to be done. "We still have a lot at stake," Bruce said. "It's one of those things where we have an opportunity to still catch the Dodgers [for best overall record and home-field advantage in the World Series]. We're a couple games up on the Astros. We have to play well, because home-field advantage is important." Jim Leyland: Indians' streak 'great for baseball' ESPN.com news services DETROIT -- The record-setting Cleveland Indians earned the admiration of an old rival -- former Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland. "Not at the Tigers' expense, obviously, but I'm enjoying that Cleveland run," Leyland said Friday, before the Indians' American League-record winning streak ended at 22 games with a 4-3 loss to the Kansas City Royals. "I think it's exciting. It's great for the city of Cleveland. It's great for baseball. I wish it was the Tigers and not the Indians, but hey, it's great what's going on." Leyland, now a special assistant to the general manager for the Tigers, said he stopped at a restaurant Thursday night and watched the end of the Indians' extra-inning victory. "I wish it was the Tigers and not the Indians, but hey, it's great what's going on," Jim Leyland said of Cleveland's winning streak before it ended Friday night. Michael Ivins/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images "It's remarkable, but it shows you what a fickle game it is," Leyland said. "Three weeks ago, everybody was saying that the Los Angeles Dodgers had the greatest team in the history of baseball. They lost 15 out of 16. They can't even get on the front page anymore. Cleveland's taken over all of the sudden." Leyland was in Detroit for Friday night's induction ceremony for the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame. He's part of a 2017 class that also includes former Detroit Pistons star Dennis Rodman, Fab Five member Jalen Rose, former Michigan State standout Andre Rison, former Michigan offensive lineman Jon Jansen, longtime Oakland University basketball coach Greg Kampe, former Michigan State baseball player and longtime NFL official Dean Look, and author and Detroit Free Press columnist Mitch Albom. Leyland stepped down as Tigers manager after the 2013 season, and Detroit has made the postseason only once since then. The Tigers recently traded stars Justin Verlander, Justin Upton and J.D. Martinez in a series of moves that put the team firmly in a rebuilding mode. "I think everybody pretty much knew that this was going to happen, or had a chance to happen," Leyland said. "In fact, a lot of people were suggesting that it should happen. So you can't have it both ways. You can't be upset when it does happen, so hopefully there'll be some patience with everybody."