Yesterday (August 21), the Tigers topped the Indians (in Cleveland) 10-5, despite trailing 5-0 after three innings. A series of five relievers held the Indians scoreless over the final six frames and the Tigers came back powered by home runs by 2B Jonathan Schoop, 3B Isaac Paredes and LF Victor Reyes. The victory was especially sweet because it was Detroit’s first win over Cleveland since April 10, 2019 – a string of 20 consecutive losses, three short of the longest losing streak (or conversely, winning streak) by one team versus another since 1901 (Orioles over Royals, May 10, 1969-August 2, 1970). Let’s take a closer look at those two streaks.
Orioles versus Royals – 23 games
Looking at the Orioles-Royals streak, the 1969-expansion Royals squad won it first contest against the Orioles – and then dropped the next 23 (11 games in 1969, 12 in 1970). Not a total surprise, the Orioles were Division Champions in the two seasons of the streak, winning 217 games and losing just 107. The Royals didn’t do too badly for an expansion squad – a pair of third-place finishes and a 134-190 record. While the Orioles did outscore the Royals 131 to 67 during the run of victories, the matchup was not totally one-sided. Among the 23 wins, eight were decided by one run and another seven by two runs. The Orioles shut out the Royals twice during the streak – by scores of 5-0 each time.
Indians versus Tigers – 20 games
The bulk of the Indians ;streak versus the Tigers (17 of the 20 wins) came in 2019, when the Tigers went a dismal 47-115 and the Indians went 93-69. In the Indians’ streak, Cleveland outscored Detroit 128-43, shutout the Tigers six times (4-0, 8-0, 2-0, 8-0, 2-0. 7-0) and scored eight or more runs in eight games. There were just two one-run games and six two-run contests.
Primary Resources: Baseball-Reference.com; Stathead.com; MLB.com
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