Indians Win 22nd Straight; Tribe Pulls Out Extra-Inning Win Over The Royals

CLEVELAND, OH—The Cleveland Indians, down to their last strike and a run behind in the ninth inning Thursday, rallied and won 3-2 in a thriller over the Kansas City Royals in 10 innings, extending their American League record-setting win streak to 22 games.

This one, unlike most of the wins during the streak, was a nail-biter. Down 2-1 in the bottom of the ninth, with two strikes and two outs, Francisco Lindor drove a hit off the left field wall to score the tying run and send the game into extra innings. Outfielder Jay Bruce, with two on in the 10th, drove in the winning run.

The win put the Indians within four shy of matching the 1916 New York Giants for the longest streak in major league history. (To stay up to date on these stories, subscribe to the Patch Cleveland newsletter. As news breaks and the story develops, you will be the first to receive updates from Patch.)

The win also puts the Indians closer to a playoff berth. The Tribe's magic number is now at 3.

The Indians, however, had fans on the edge of their seat most of the night. Pitcher Josh Tomlin went 5.2 innings, giving up two runs on six hits, before the Tribe’s bullpen took over. In his much anticipated return to the lineup, left-handed reliever Andrew Miller gave up two hits in the seventh inning. Miller, who had not pitched since Aug. 21, was activated from the disabled list earlier Thursday.

Closer Cody Allen collected the win for the Indians. Brandon Maurer took the loss for the Royals.

Besides the big swings by Lindor and Bruce, the hero of the night (and perhaps the season) was second baseman Jose Ramirez, who went 4-4 on the night, including a 10th-inning double that put him in scoring position. Ramirez scored on Bruce's single.

The Indians, now 91-56 on the season, have the best record in the American League. The Indians will look for their 23rd straight win on Friday, when they face the Royals at Progressive Field.

Images by David Dermer/AP