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Indians' historic 22-game winning streak snapped by Royals

mark townsend
Yahoo Sports Contributor

All good things must come to an end. Unfortunately for the Cleveland Indians, that included their record-setting 22-game winning streak.

For the first time since Aug. 23, the Indians were on the losing side of an MLB game, falling 4-3 to the Royals at Progressive Field.

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The Indians winning streak had been defined mostly by their dominance, as they outscored opponents 142-37 for the duration. But they showed resilience too when needed. That was especially true in Thursday’s historic 22nd straight win, when Francisco Lindor tied the game with the team down to its final strike.

There would be no such magic on Friday. Despite jumping out to an early 3-1 lead, and despite Francisco Lindor having another chance to save them in the ninth inning, the remarkable streak ended when Lindor went down swinging against Royals left-hander Mike Minor.

Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor sits near second base after being forced out in Friday's game. The Indians 22-game winning streak would be snapped by the Royals. (AP)
Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor sits near second base after being forced out in Friday’s game. The Indians 22-game winning streak would be snapped by the Royals. (AP)

As for the Indians winning streak and where it stands in history. At 22 games, it’s the undisputed longest streak in American League history. The debate over whether or not it’s the longest winning streak in MLB history will undoubtedly carry on. At least until there’s another notable storyline to distract us.

The 1916 New York Giants are credited with winning 26 games, which the Elias Sports Bureau recognizes as the record. The controversy stems from a tie game that came after the Giants 21st straight win. That game was thrown out and replayed later, with the Giants ultimately winning.

Whether you recognize the Indians streak as the record or not, it doesn’t take away from what they’ve accomplished. Now though, it’s all about the postseason, and whether or not the Indians can finish what they nearly accomplished in 2016, and that’s winning the franchise’s first World Series championship since 1948.

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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!