Indians Extend Win Streak to 17 Games with Victory over Orioles

The Cleveland Indians won their 17th game in a row Saturday when they defeated the Baltimore Orioles 4-2 at Progressive Field.

The Indians noted their magic number to clinch the American League Central is 10:

Josh Tomlin allowed an RBI single to Trey Mancini in the top of the first but settled down, going five innings and striking out three batters at home. Tomlin's only other blemish was a solo home run by Tim Beckham in the sixth inning.

Indians batters also combined for nine hits. Carlos Santana was 2-for-3 with an RBI and one run scored, while Francisco Lindor went 1-for-4, with his solo home run in the seventh inning giving Cleveland an insurance run.

Saturday's victory gives the Indians the second-longest winning streak of the last 50 years. They had been tied with the 1977 Kansas City Royals after beating the Orioles on Friday night, per MLB Network:

Cleveland needs three more wins to tie the 2002 Oakland Athletics' 20-game winning streak. Considering the team will start Trevor Bauer, Carlos Carrasco and Corey Kluber over that stretch, fans will feel optimistic about the Indians' chances of matching the record.

Even if the Indians are unsuccessful in their quest to overtake Oakland, their 17-game winning streak has brought them to within a game of the Houston Astros for the best record in the American League. Cleveland also has the best World Series title chances (21.5 percent) in baseball, according to Baseball Prospectus.