Indians go 19 innings for record

HR off infielder lands 14th in row

Cleveland Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays during the 15th inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Friday, July 1, 2016.
Cleveland Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays during the 15th inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Friday, July 1, 2016.

TORONTO — A franchise-best 14th consecutive victory didn’t come easy for the Cleveland Indians.

Carlos Santana hit a home run in the 19th inning off infielder Darwin Barney and the Indians beat the Toronto Blue Jays 2-1 on Friday.

“I guess if you’re going to set a record, you might as well do it the hard way,” Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer said.

Cleveland won 13 consecutive in 1942 and again in 1951.

It’s the longest winning streak in the majors since Atlanta won 14 consecutive in 2013, and the longest by an American League team since Oakland won 20 in a row in 2002.

Santana doubled and scored in the third as the surging Indians survived a marathon game and disappointed a sellout crowd that came for a Canada Day matinee that lasted 6 hours and 13 minutes, featured 19 pitchers and saw 34 left on base.

The 19 innings matched the longest game ever played by the Blue Jays. Toronto played 19 against Detroit in August 2014.

Having used seven of their eight relievers, the Indians turned to Bauer, today’s scheduled starter, in the 15th. Bauer (7-2) worked five innings for the victory.

“I thought what Trevor did was above and beyond,” Indians Manager Terry Francona said.

Only closer Cody Allen, who was unavailable after working the previous three games, was not used as a reliever for Cleveland.

Seven Blue Jays relievers combined to pitch 10 1/3 scoreless innings, then Toronto turned to infielder Ryan Goins in the 18th.

Jose Ramirez and Lonnie Chisenhall began the inning with singles, but Ramirez was caught in a rundown on Michael Martinez’s fielder’s choice grounder. After intentionally walking Tyler Naquin, Goins got out of the bases-loaded jam by getting Chris Gimenez to ground into a double play.

INDIANS 2, BLUE JAYS 1 (19)

Barney, who started the game at second base, replaced Goins in the 19th. The infielders became the ninth and 10th position players to pitch for Toronto.

Santana greeted Barney (0-1) with a drive to right-center, his 17th.

The Blue Jays loaded the bases with two outs in the 14th but Joba Chamberlain got reigning AL MVP Josh Donaldson to ground out.

Donaldson nearly tied it in the 19th but his drive to right off Bauer was caught on the warning track.

“I thought he hit it out for sure,” Bauer said. “He hit it and I was like ‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’ ”

Toronto’s only run came in the sixth when Justin Smoak snapped an 0-for-18 slump by homering off Cleveland starter Josh Tomlin. It was the eighth of the season for Smoak and the 100th of his career.

The Blue Jays lost major league RBI leader Edwin Encarnacion when he was ejected for arguing after being called out on strikes to end the first inning. Manager John Gibbons also was ejected.

All three Blue Jays batters were called out on strikes in the first, with Encarnacion livid after being rung up on a 3-2 pitch that looked outside.

Encarnacion made contact with home plate umpire Vic Carapazza’s left shoulder after being ejected. Gibbons rushed out to break up the argument and was then tossed.

Catcher Russell Martin was ejected by Carapazza after striking out to end the 13th. A fuming Martin had to be restrained by bench coach DeMarlo Hale and third base coach Luis Rivera as he screamed at Carapazza.

“He just wasn’t very good today,” Martin said of Carapazza. “All the things that everybody in the ballpark were thinking, I didn’t say that. I felt like he really didn’t have to throw me out.”

Cleveland’s Jason Kipnis extended his hitting streak to 13 games with an RBI single off Marcus Stroman in the third.

TIGERS 10, RAYS 2 Rookie right-hander Michael Fulmer give up two hits in seven shutout innings, Victor Martinez hit three-run home runs from both side of the plate and Detroit rolled to a victory over host Tampa Bay.

ASTROS 5, WHITE SOX 0 Carlos Gomez hit a two-run home run and Mike Fiers and three relievers combined for a shutout to help surging Houston to a victory over visiting Chicago. Fiers (6-3) scattered four hits over six innings. Ken Giles and Luke Gregerson didn’t allow a hit in an inning each and Chris Devenski threw a scoreless ninth. RANGERS 3, TWINS 2 (10) Ian Desmond homered to lead off the 10th inning for Texas, which held on for a victory over host Minnesota. The Rangers’ Sam Dyson surrendered a leadoff single, but struck out the next two batters and notched his 17th save in 19 attempts.

RED SOX 5, ANGELS 4 David Ortiz homered for his 2,000th hit with Boston to help his team beat visiting Los Angeles. Ortiz’s solo shot in the fifth was his 522nd career home run, moving him into sole possession of 19th place on baseball’s all-time list and breaking a tie he held with Willie McCovey, Frank Thomas and Ted Williams.

INTERLEAGUE

PHILLIES 4, ROYALS 3 Jeremy Hellickson threw six sharp innings, Odubel Herrera hit a leadoff home run and host Philadelphia beat Kansas City for its fourth consecutive victory. Hellickson (6-6) allowed 1 run and 5 hits in 6 innings, striking out 6. Royals starter Ian Kennedy (6-7) gave up three runs in five innings.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

CARDINALS 7, BREWERS 1 Matt Holliday drove in three runs, left-hander Jaime Garcia threw eight solid innings and St. Louis beat visiting Milwaukee.

NATIONALS 3, REDS 2 (14) Ben Revere doubled in the winning run with two outs in the 14th inning, and host Washington outlasted Cincinnati for its sixth consecutive victory.

METS 10, CUBS 2 Brandon Nimmo’s threerun home run in the fourth inning was one of five home runs by New York off Jason Hammel in a victory over visiting Chicago that ended Jacob deGrom’s 10-start winless streak. James Loney and Asbrubal Cabrera hit consecutive home runs in the second inning, just before a 68-minute rain delay, and Cabrera hit a two-run drive in the fifth, shortly after Yoenis Cespedes’ solo shot.

MARLINS 7, BRAVES 5 (12) Miami ace Jose Fernandez, making the first pinch-hit appearance of his career, drove in the go-ahead run with a two-run double in the 12th inning, helping his team beat host Atlanta.

GIANTS 6, DIAMONDBACKS 4 Conor Gillaspie fell a home run shy of the cycle, Johnny Cueto settled down after a rocky start to earn his 12th victory and visiting San Francisco beat Arizona.

Sports on 07/02/2016

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