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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

MLB capsules: Cleveland wins 18th straight; Dodgers drop 10th in a row

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg delivers a pitch during the third inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017, in Washington. The Nationals won 3-2 as Strasburg ran his franchise-reocrd scoreless inning streak to 34. (Nick Wass / Associated Press)
Associated Press

CLEVELAND – The Cleveland Indians stretched their franchise-record winning streak to 18 games, beating the Baltimore Orioles 3-2 Sunday night behind homers from Francisco Lindor and Roberto Perez.

Cleveland’s streak is the longest in the majors since Oakland won 20 straight in 2002. The best run in baseball history belongs to the New York Giants, who had a 26-game streak in 1916, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The Giants’ streak included a tie, which doesn’t count as a game in baseball.

The crowd of 21,259 roared in the ninth inning as Cody Allen recorded his 26th save. He struck out the first two hitters and retired Trey Mancini on a line drive to right field to end the game.

Perez snapped a 1-all tie in the sixth with a leadoff homer. Lindor then broke two bats while running the count to 3-2 before homering to right. Cleveland’s All-Star shortstop, using a bat tossed to him by teammate Abraham Almonte, looked at the dugout and smiled as his 29th homer of the season sailed into the seats.

Trevor Bauer (16-8) allowed two runs in 6 1/3 innings for Cleveland.

Jeremy Hellickson (3-3) gave up three runs in six innings.

ROCKIES 8, DODGERS 1

LOS ANGELES – The NL West leaders lost their 10th straight game for their worst skid in 25 years and have dropped 15 of 16 yet still have the best record in the majors at 92-51.

Mark Reynolds hit a grand slam, Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story also homered, and Tyler Chatwood (7-12) allowed five hits in five scoreless innings.

Rich Hill (9-8) gave up two runs and four hits in five innings.

NATIONALS 3, PHILLIES 2

WASHINGTON – Washington became the first team in the majors to clinch a playoff spot this season, winning the NL East as Stephen Strasburg extended his scoreless streak to a franchise-record 34 innings.

More than 90 minutes after Washington finished off the Phillies, Nationals Park erupted again when Lane Adams hit a two-run, 11th-inning homer to lead Atlanta over second-place Miami, sealing the division title for the fourth time in six years.

Strasburg (13-4) threw two-hit ball for eight innings and struck out 10. He hasn’t allowed a run since Aug. 19 at San Diego, his first start since coming off the disabled list with an elbow nerve impingement.

Ryan Madson gave up Nick Williams’ bloop two-out, two-run single before retiring Rhys Hoskins on a grounder for his second save this season and first since the Nationals acquired him from Oakland on July 16.

Rookie Ben Lively (3-6) allowed six hits and struck out seven in his first career complete game, the first for the Phillies this year.

BRAVES 10, MARLINS 8

ATLANTA – Rio Ruiz had a tying, two-run single with two outs in a three-run ninth inning and Lane Adams hit a two-run homer off Vance Worley (2-5) in the 11th.

Dee Gordon broke an eighth-inning tie with his first career pinch-homer. Christian Yelich hit an RBI double in the ninth and scored on Justin Bour’s sacrifice fly to boost the lead to 8-5.

Arodys Vizcaino (5-3) allowed two hits in two scoreless innings.

ATHLETICS 10, ASTROS 2

OAKLAND, Calif. – Astros ace Dallas Keuchel (12-4) walked in two runs and forced in another by hitting another during a shaky sixth inning as Oakland completed a four-game sweep of Houston, which entered tied with Cleveland for the best record in the AL.

Keuchel allowed four runs over 5 2/3 innings. Kendall Graveman (5-4) pitched five-hit ball over six innings and allowed one run.

BREWERS 3, CUBS 1

CHICAGO (AP) – Travis Shaw hit a two-run homer to back Zach Davies (17-8) as Milwaukee complete a three-game sweep and closed within two games of the NL Central-leading Cubs. Chicago entered the series with a five-game division lead, a season high, but the defending World Series champions totaled three runs in the series.

Milwaukee and St. Louis trail Colorado by three games for the second NL wild card.

Davies allowed one run and seven hits in seven innings, and Corey Knebel got three outs for his 34th save. Kyle Hendricks (6-5) gave up three runs and four hits in six innings.

CARDINALS 7, PIRATES 0

ST. LOUIS – Yadier Molina hit a three-run homer and tied a career high with five RBIs to back Michael Wacha (12-7), who gave up five hits in eight innings.

St. Louis has won three in a row and seven of eight.

Pittsburgh dropped its fifth in a row and slumped to 10 games under .500 for the first time since 2011. Ivan Nova (11-13) gave up five runs and five in hits five innings.

RAYS 4, RED SOX 1

BOSTON – With Tampa Bay players’ thinking about Hurricane Irma approaching home, they beat Boston to avoid a three-game sweep and deal reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello his major league-leading 17th loss.

Porcello (9-17) took a 1-0 lead into the fifth, when Wilson Ramos and Evan Longoria hit RBI singles. Boston has scored two runs or fewer 18 times in 30 starts while Porcello was in the game.

Ramos homered in the sixth off Brandon Workman, and Lucas Duda went deep in the seventh against Robby Scott.

Tampa Bay stopped Boston’s four-game winning streak. Alex Cobb (11-9) allowed one run and four hits – all singles – and three walks in five innings. Alex Colome pitched a perfect ninth to complete a five-hitter and earn his major-league leading 43rd save in 48 chances.

YANKEES 16, RANGERS 7

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) – Aaron Judge became the second major league rookie with a 40-homer season, going deep twice as New York moved 3 1/2 games ahead of Minnesota for the AL’s top wild card and closed within 3 1/2 games of AL East-leading Boston. Texas trails the Twins by 2 1/2 games.

Gary Sanchez also hit two solo homers for the Yankees, giving him 30 this season and 50 in his 161 games since his 2015 debut.

With Judge’s AL-best 40th homer in the fourth, the 25-year-old joined Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle as the only Yankees to hit 40 homers at age 25 or younger. Judge added No. 41 two innings later, a drive that would have gone 463 feet unimpeded, according to MLB’s Statcast.

Mark McGwire hit a league-high 49 homers as a rookie for Oakland in 1987.

Chad Green (4-0) struck out four in 2 1/3 innings. A.J. Griffin (6-6) gave up five runs pitching into the fourth.

ROYALS 11, TWINS 3

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Jason Vargas (15-10) stopped his four-game losing streak and set a career high for wins, giving up one run and four hits in five innings.

Brandon Moss homered and drove in four runs as Kansas City (71-71) gained a four-game split and moved within 2 1/2 games of Minnesota.

Bartolo Colon (6-12) retired only five of 11 batters in his shortest outing this year, allowing six runs and six hits.

ANGELS 5, MARINERS 3

SEATTLE – Justin Upton had a tiebreaking, two-run double in the eighth off Nick Vincent (3-2) to help Los Angeles avoid a sweep and close within one game of Minnesota for the second AL wild card spot.

Mike Trout and Luis Valbuena had solo homers.

Cam Bedrosian (6-4) pitched a scoreless seventh, and Yusmeiro Petit closed with a perfect ninth for his third save.

DIAMONDBACKS 3, PADRES 2

PHOENIX (AP) – Paul Goldschmidt homered on his 30th birthday and J.D. Martinez went deep twice.

Robbie Ray (13-5) won his fourth straight start, striking out 12 in six innings while allowing two runs and four hits. Archie Bradley got the call over closer Fernando Rodney in the ninth and earned his first save this season by striking out the side.

Arizona remained five games ahead of second-place Colorado for the NL’s top wild card. Luis Perdomo (7-10) gave up three runs and five hits in six innings.

REDS 10, METS 5

NEW YORK – Reds manager Bryan Price put his argument with a pair of umpires on pause for the singing of “God Bless America,” then resumed the argument. Cincinnati went on to win behind Tucker Barnhart’s career-high five RBIs. The Reds rallied for three runs in the seventh to make it 5-all.

Scooter Gennett was called out on strikes by plate umpire Shane Livensparger to end the inning, slammed down his bat and helmet, and was ejected, setting off the confrontation,.

Jackson Stephens (2-0) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Raisel Iglesias got six outs for his 26th save. Jeurys Familia (1-2) was the loser.

BLUE JAYS 8, TIGERS 2

TORONTO – Teoscar Hernandez hit his first two home runs of the season and Darwin Barney had four hits.

Detroit dropped to 60-82 with its eighth loss in 10 games this month. The Tigers’ only other losing record since 2008 was 74-87 two years ago.

J.A. Happ (8-10) allowed two runs – one earned – and five hits in six innings, and Luis Santos finished for his first save.

Anibal Sanchez (3-4) gave up seven runs and a season-high 12 hits in 4 2/3 innings.

WHITE SOX 8, GIANTS 1

CHICAGO – Jose Abreu homered twice, a day after hitting for the cycle.

Carson Fulmer (2-1) won his first major league game as a starter, allowing one run and three hits in six innings.

Madison Bumgarner (3-8) gave up six runs and 10 hits in five innings – the most runs and hits he’s allowed this season.