Indians stretch winning streak to 11 games
Dodgers’ Kershaw to undergo tests
ATLANTA — Corey Kluber insists no one in the Cleveland clubhouse is talking about the Indians’ longest winning streak in 34 years.
Outside those walls, however, the Indians are big news as the hottest team in the majors.
Carlos Santana hit a tiebreaking single in Cleveland’s three-run ninth inning, Kluber allowed only three hits in eight innings and the Indians beat the Atlanta Braves 5-3 on Tuesday night for their 11th straight win.
The winning streak is Cleveland’s longest since 11 straight from May 23-June 4, 1982, and also the longest in the majors this season.
The unflappable Kluber didn’t sound impressed.
“No one is really talking about the winning streak,” Kluber said. “We realize we are playing well right now. We’re just trying to keep that going. Ultimately an 11-game game winning streak doesn’t mean much if you don’t continue to build the momentum that you have.”
The Indians won 12 straight in 1922. The longest streaks in franchise history were 13 games in 1942 and 1951.
Kluber (8-7) didn’t allow a hit through five innings. The right-hander allowed two runs on three hits and one walk with seven strikeouts. CARDINALS 8, ROYALS 4: In Kansas City, Mo., just about everybody in the Cardinals lineup drove in a run, Michael Wacha was good enough on the mound and St. Louis evened the four-game, two-city series. Wacha (4-7) allowed four runs over six innings. TIGERS 7, MARLINS 5: In Detroit, Miguel Cabrera’s three-run homer highlighted a seven-run fifth inning for Detroit, and the Tigers went on to beat Miami. MARINERS 5, PIRATES 2: In Seattle, Nelson Cruz hit his 20th homer as part of a three-run fifth inning for the Mariners. RANGERS 7, YANKEES 1: In New York, Cole Hamels breezed through seven shutout innings to win his fourth consecutive start and Texas improved to 51-27.
“Just a masterful job by Cole,” Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. “We know that if we can get him a lead, he pitches very well from in front. He controls the game.” TWINS 4, WHITE SOX 0: In Chicago, Brian Dozier homered twice and drove in four runs, Kyle Gibson pitched seven innings of five-hit ball for his first victory of the season,
and Minnesota blanked the White Sox.
RED SOX 8, RAYS 2: In St. Petersburg, Fla., Rick Porcello pitched six strong innings, Travis Shaw homered and drove in five runs for the third time this season and Boston ended a three-game losing streak.
NATIONALS 5, METS 0: In Washington, Lucas Giolito threw four scoreless innings in his rain-shortened major league debut for the Nationals.
Baseball’s top pitching prospect allowed just one hit — a leadoff single — struck out one and walked two before a lengthy rain delay ended his outing. The 21-year-old Giolito threw 29 of his 45 pitches for strikes.
DODGERS 6, BREWERS 5: In Milwaukee, rookie Julio Urias battled through six innings for his first major league victory, Adrian Gonzalez had three hits and the Dodgers hung on.
Dodger center fielder Joc Pederson crashed face first into the wall in deep center after catching Chris Carter’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth.
CUBS 7, REDS 2 (15): In Cincinnati, Kris Bryant singled home the tie-breaking run in the 15th inning and the Cubs used three pitchers in left field while beating the Reds.
With the Cubs out of position players, relievers Travis Wood and Spencer Patton (1-0) alternated between left field and the mound in the 14th inning,
which ended with Patton getting the final out. Wood then finished it off with reliever Pedro Strop in left.
ROCKIES-BLUE JAYS: Rain and hail came down on Coors Field in a fierce, hour-long downpour that forced officials to delay the start of an interleague game between Toronto and Colorado. First pitch was finally thrown at 9:21 p.m.
Heavy runoff poured into the Rockies’ dugout and tunnel leading into the clubhouse, causing some flooding. Grounds crew workers were able to clear the water away by sandbagging the tunnel entrance and clearing debris over the drains, allowing the pooled water to dissipate.
Other members of the crew used shovels, squeegees and large brooms to scrape the water and pea-sized hail from the field. DODGERS: Ace Clayton Kershaw is returning to Los Angeles for tests on a sore back that’s been bothering him for a few weeks.
Manager Dave Roberts said he was still hopeful Kershaw could make his next scheduled start Friday night at Dodger Stadium against Colorado.
The three-time NL Cy Young winner is 11-2 with a 1.79 ERA this season. NATIONALS: An MRI Stephen Strasburg underwent Monday has confirmed Washington’s diagnosis that the pitcher has an upper-back strain.