Sep 10, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor congratulates catcher Roberto Perez (55) on a solo home run during the sixth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Progressive Field. Photo Credit: Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports
CLEVELAND — Roberto Perez and Francisco Lindor hit back-to-back home runs in the sixth inning, and Trevor Bauer made a quality start as the Cleveland Indians extended their franchise-record winning streak to 18 games with a 3-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday night at Progressive Field.
The Indians tied the 1953 New York Yankees for the fifth-longest winning streak in major league history.
Bauer (16-8) tossed 6 1/3 innings, allowing two runs and seven hits with seven strikeouts and no walks. The fourth Indians reliever, Cody Allen, pitched the ninth inning to pick up his 26th save.
Jeremy Hellickson took the loss, pitching six innings and giving up three runs and four hits with one strikeout and no walks. He fell to 8-9 overall on the season, 2-4 with Baltimore.
Trailing 1-0, the Orioles tied the score with a run in the sixth inning. With one out, Manny Machado doubled to right field, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Jonathan Schoop.
Cleveland responded in the bottom of the sixth inning, in which Hellickson threw 33 pitches. Perez, leading off the inning, hit a 3-2 pitch over the left field wall to give Cleveland a 2-1 lead.
Lindor, the next hitter, also worked the count to 3-2, then hit Hellickson’s next pitch over the wall in right field, a drive estimated at 433 feet. Lindor’s 29th home run of the season extended the Indians’ lead to 3-1.
The Orioles got run back in the seventh on a home run by Chris Davis, who hit a line drive over the left field wall for his 24th home run.
Baltimore came up empty in a first-inning threat that began with a one-out infield single by Machado. Schoop singled to center, but with runners at first and second and one out, Bauer got Adam Jones to ground into an inning-ending double play.
Cleveland opened the scoring in the bottom of the first. Lindor led off with a double into the left field corner. Lonnie Chisenhall flared a single into shallow left field, moving Lindor to third.
Jose Ramirez, back in the lineup after missing three games with a sore wrist, grounded out to second, but Lindor scored, giving the Indians a 1-0 lead.
Ramirez’s out was the first in a run of outs by Hellickson, who retired the next 15 batters he faced.
NOTES: Indians LHP Andrew Miller will pitch a simulated game Monday. Miller is on the disabled due to right knee tendinitis. … Indians RHP Carlos Carrasco will start Monday night vs. Detroit. In his last start, a 5-1 win over the White Sox on Sept. 6, Carrasco tossed a 97-pitch, three-hit complete game. In his last three starts, Carrasco struck out 25 with no walks in 23 innings. … Baltimore 1B Chris Davis was 3-for-31 (.097) with 13 strikeouts before his home run in the seventh inning. … Orioles 2B Jonathan Schoop’s 43 RBIs since the All-Star break rank third in the major leagues. … Orioles LHP Jayson Aquino, who was designated for assignment on Sept. 5, cleared waivers and was assigned outright to Triple-A Norfolk.
