Indians continue to roll, defeat Angels
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Don't look now, but the Cleveland Indians are streaking again.
They have a long way to go to match their recently set American League record of 22 consecutive wins, but their 6-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels was their third in a row, and their 25th win in the last 26 games.
Though they have already clinched the AL Central title, the Indians didn't play like a team lacking motivation. Starting pitcher Mike Clevinger (11-5) gave up just one run and three hits in six innings while Jay Bruce led a 14-hit attack by coming a home run short of hitting for the cycle.
Austin Jackson also had a big night with four hits, and catcher Roberto Perez had two hits, including a home run.
The loss for the Angels was a missed opportunity. With the Minnesota Twins falling to the New York Yankees, the Angels had a chance to move to within a half-game of the second AL wild card. Instead, Los Angeles remains 1 1/2 games behind the Twins.
The Angels, though, had their chances.
With Cleveland leading 3-1, Indians reliever Bryan Shaw entered the game to pitch the eighth inning and retired the first two hitters. C.J. Cron and pinch hitter Ben Revere then singled, and Brandon Phillips followed with an RBI single to make it 3-2, bringing up Mike Trout with the potential tying run at third base.
Trout hit a bullet on one hop to second baseman Jose Ramirez, who threw to first to maintain the one-run lead.
The Indians gave themselves a cushion with three runs in the top of the ninth, one coming in on Jackson's fourth single, and two more on a single by Edwin Encarnacion.
The runs turned out to be big, as Justin Upton homered to lead off the bottom of the ninth.
The Angels got their lone run off Clevinger in the fifth inning.
Kole Calhoun and Andrelton Simmons began the inning with back-to-back singles. Simmons, though, was picked off first for the first out. After Luis Valbuena walked, Cron struck out for the second out.
On a pitch to Martin Maldonado, Valbuena broke for second. When Perez threw to second, Calhoun took off for home and scored as Valbuena stopped before being tagged out in a rundown to end the inning.
Angels starter Tyler Skaggs (2-6) got the loss after giving up two runs on eight hits and one walk in 5 1/3 innings.
NOTES: Indians 2B Jason Kipnis got his second start in center field, after starting there Sunday against Kansas City but getting no chances in the field. Kipnis had not played in center since college, but with regular CF Bradley Zimmer out with a broken hand and Austin Jackson playing left field to fill in for the injured Michael Brantley, the Indians plan to use Kipnis and rookie Greg Allen in center. Kipnis got his first chance in center in the fifth inning when he fielded a single by SS Andrelton Simmons. As in the Sunday game, Kipnis was replaced by Allen after five innings. ... Angels 2B Brandon Phillips returned to the starting lineup after missing two games with lower back tightness. ... Angels LHP Andrew Heaney played catch on Monday but is still bothered by an impingement in his left shoulder and will be skipped in the rotation when his turn comes up Saturday in Houston. The Angels plan to go with a "bullpen" game, as they did last Friday when Heaney missed his last start.