The Cleveland Indians lost for the first time since the Cleveland Cavaliers won the city’s first title in 52 years when the Tribe fell to the Toronto Blue Jays 9-6 on Saturday.
The Indians, with timely hitting and a formidable starting five, had reeled off a franchise-record 14 straight games before Saturday’s loss.
The game was tied at 6 when Toronto’s Josh Donaldson singled with two on and one out in the bottom of the eighth. Toronto’s Ezequiel Carrera, who was at second base, was called out at the plate on Donaldson’s single while attempting to score the tie-breaking run. But the Blue Jays challenged the call and it was overturned. The Blue Jays tacked on two more insurance run to make up the final score.
Had the call stood, the game could have again gone to extra innings as Edwin Encarnacion struck out after Donaldson and would have recorded the third out.
The Indians won their 14th consecutive game in an epic 19-inning marathon on Friday afternoon/evening. The Indians used nine relief pitchers and Trevor Bauer, who was slated to be Saturday’s starter, threw five shutout innings in a wild game that saw both teams fail to score multiple times with a runner at third and less than two outs. Toronto ran out of pitchers and had to use two position players—Ryan Goins and Darwin Barney—to finish the game.
Zach McAllister started in place of Bauer on Saturday. He lasted just a shaky inning after giving up three earned runs and two walks.
With Danny Salazar, Carlos “Cookie” Carrasco, Corey Kluber, Josh Tomlin, and Bauer making up their starting rotation, the Indians are emerging that nobody will want to face in a short series in the playoffs.
The Cavaliers won their title on June 19 and the Indians’s win streak started two days before on June 17.
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