Sep 13, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) and right fielder Jay Bruce (32) celebrate a win over the Detroit Tigers at Progressive Field. The Indians set an American League record with their 21st consecutive victory. Photo Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
CLEVELAND — Jay Bruce and Roberto Perez each homered as the Cleveland Indians set an American League record with their 21st consecutive win in a 5-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday at Progressive Field.
Cleveland had been tied with the 2002 Oakland Athletics for the AL record for longest winning streak at 20.
The Indians are also tied with the 1935 Chicago Cubs for the second longest winning streak in major league history. The longest is 26 games by the 1916 New York Giants, although there was a tie game during that streak.
Mike Clevinger (10-5) gave up one earned run in 5 2/3 innings to get the win. Cody Allen pitched the ninth inning to earn his 27th save.
Detroit starter Buck Farmer (4-3) gave up four runs in four innings and took the loss.
With one out in the first inning, Alex Presley singled and went to second on a two-out walk drawn by Nick Castellanos. Jeimer Candelario followed with a double off the left field wall, scoring Presley to give Detroit a 1-0 lead.
Francisco Lindor led off the bottom of the first with a double into the right field corner. Lonnie Chisenhall struck out but Jose Ramirez drew a walk. Farmer struck out Edwin Encarnacion for the second out, but Bruce hit a fly ball to left field that just barely got over the wall for a three-run home run. His 34th homer of the season gave Cleveland a 3-1 lead.
The Indians scored again in a wild third inning in which Detroit manager Brad Ausums and catcher James McCann were both ejected.
Jose Ramirez doubled with two outs and scored on a bloop single to right field by Encarnacion to extend the Indians lead to 4-1.
Bruce, the next hitter, took a close pitch for ball four. McCann said something to home plate umpire Quinn Wolcott, and was immediately ejected. Ausmus, who was on his way to the mound, detoured to the plate to continue the argument, and he, too, was tossed by Wolcott.
With Carlos Santana, the next hitter, at the plate, and John Hicks, the next catcher, behind it, Farmer threw a fastball that Hicks reached for but missed. The ball hit Wolcott in the left shoulder, knocking him on his back. After a brief delay, Wolcott remained in the game.
The Tigers knocked Clevinger out of the game in the sixth inning, scoring two unearned runs. Miguel Cabrera hit a grounder to third baseman Yandy Diaz, who threw wildly to first for an error, allowing Cabrera to reach second base.
Castellano followed with a double, scoring Cabrera to make it 4-2. Clevinger retired the next two hitters, but Andrew Romine lined a single to right, scoring Castellanos as Cleveland’s lead shrunk to 4-3.
Farmer and reliever Daniel Norris combined to retire 11 consecutive batters through the middle innings but that streak ended with one out in the seventh, when Perez hit an 0-2 from Norris over the center field wall to make it a 5-3 Cleveland lead.
NOTES: Tigers SS Jose Iglesias was back in the lineup for the first time since Sept. 5. Iglesias went home to Florida for the birth of his child, then got stranded following the arrival of Hurricane Irma. . . The Tigers lost the first two games of the series with the Indians 11-0 and 2-0. It’s the first time the Tigers had been shut out in consecutive games since April 12-13, 2008. . . Tigers INF Dixon Machado has been placed on the paternity list. . . Indians SS Francisco Lindor has hit nine home runs during the Indians’ winning streak. . . Since July 21 the Indians are 42-11 (.792) the best record in the majors.
