Indians run win streak to 17 games with 4-2 win over O's (with quotes)

CLEVELAND - One streak ended today for the Indians. They didn't score first, as they had done in the previous 16 games.

There was a brief moment when they actually appeared to be human. To be vulnerable. But it didn't last long.

The Orioles lost their lead by the third inning, fell behind in the fourth and again were limited offensively by the mighty Indians rotation and bullpen in a 4-2 defeat before an announced crowd of 30,459 at Progressive Field.

It's back to .500 for the Orioles (71-71), their first time breaking even since Aug. 27. They're 3-6 since a seven-game winning streak and are 27-41 on the road.

Meanwhile, the Indians have won 17 in a row dating to Aug. 24, the longest stretch since the Athletics won 20 straight in 2002.

The day began with the Orioles three games behind the Twins for the second wild card. The Angels and Rangers were ahead of them. Every loss hurts.

The offense has produced only three runs in the last three games, which also hurts. Twenty-five of 27 batters were retired after Trey Mancini's RBI infield hit in the first inning.

Tim Beckham led off the sixth inning with his 20th home run and eighth with the Orioles to reduce the lead to 3-2. Indians starter Josh Tomlin had retired 13 in a row before Beckham's shot to left field.

Adam Jones singled with two outs for the only other baserunner. The last 10 batters were set down.

Manny Machado reached on an infield hit with one out in the first inning, moved to third base with two outs on Jones's single and scored on Mancini's infield hit. That's when Tomlin began his own streak and the Indians began to chip away at Gabriel Ynoa, making his first career start with the Orioles.

Ynoa retired the first seven batters before Yan Gomes singled with one out in the third inning and scored on Giovanny Urshela's double off the wall in center field. A strikeout and fly ball kept the score tied 1-1.

Five of eight Indians had hits off Ynoa. Carlos Santana doubled to lead off the fourth and scored the tie-breaking run with one out on Jay Bruce's single.

Ynoa retired the first two batters in the fifth, but Lonnie Chisenhall singled and scored on Santana's double off the left field wall for a 3-1 lead. Mychal Givens entered the game.

Santana has 585 career RBIs, passing Omar Vizquel for most by a switch-hitter in Indians history.

Another member of the rotation - and Ynoa may have stopped by only for a quick visit - failed to complete the fifth inning. Take away Wade Miley's 5 2/3 last night, and the starters have logged 18 innings in five games.

Francisco Lindor homered off Darren O'Day with one out in the seventh to increase the lead to 4-2. O'Day has surrendered a career-high eight home runs in 53 2/3 innings, surpassing his previous high of seven in 2011 and 2013.

Austin Hays made his first major league start and went 0-2, grounding out to short in the second and fifth innings. Seth Smith pinch-hit for him in the eighth.

Hays has been retired 6-3 in all three at-bats with the Orioles.

Note: Left-hander Jayson Aquino cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk.

Beckham on Indians: "They're a heck of a team, man, and they're not missing a beat in any category. They have everything they need to win ballgames. Days like today, you've just got to grind it out. You're playing a team like this, you just go out and compete and give it your all when you're out there and don't waste any ABs. Just try to win the ballgame, you know?"

Beckham on feeling good about chances after homer: "You never want to be on the bench feeling like this is not the game you're going to win. Even when we're down 4-2, we're still feeling like we can win the ballgame. We have a heck of a lineup ourselves and we know what we can do when we get the offense rolling. Just a tough loss today."

Beckham on whether Orioles are having good at-bats: "Yeah, I feel like we're having good at-bats. They've got good arms and we're up there competing. They're bullpen's one of the best bullpens in the league and their starters are some of the best starters in the league, so you just want to come out and compete every day and don't waste any ABs and try to win today."

Beckham on what's worked for him since the trade: "I've stuck with my same approach. I wasn't swinging the bat bad when I was in Tampa, so I just kept the same approach and trust the routine and I just want to go out and compete every day."

Manager Buck Showalter on Ynoa: "It was fine. It's obviously a good offensive team. I thought he presented himself well. He had had a couple of good starts. He'd had his struggles, obviously, in Norfolk. Had two or three good starts in a row there. He gave us a chance. What have we scored, three runs in three days? That's tough. A real tribute to them, but we've got to find a way."

Showalter on whether team is having good at-bats: "That's hard to say, because guys make good pitches. They're filling up the lower part of the zone, down and away. If you can do that, the whole world opens up to you. It's probably a little bit of a combination of both."

Showalter on whether Ynoa gets another start: "I don't know. We're going day-to-day right now. We're managing a lot of things other than Gabe and some of the health of our people and trying to put our best foot forward. We wanted to see how things went today, see how he feels and see where we are after each game. Again, look at our other options."

Showalter on Hays: "It's early in the process. I think he's handled himself well. I'll tell you, the first fly ball he's got out there was tough. That first ball was probably a home run, blows back. There's a lot of adjustment to be made on that with the sun. That's a difficult play. It may look routine to people. That was good to see. Made a really good throw to second base. Made it close."

Showalter on Tomlin: "The guy has walked, what, 13 guys all year? That's kind of Wells-like numbers, you know? That's him, though. A lot of cutters, and locates the ball real well. You've got to honor any pitch in any count. That's one of his good days when he's got a lot working for him, and like I said, it was a combination of them pitching well and us not swinging the bats not too well right now."

Ynoa (via translator Ramón Alarcón) on whether he was nervous: "No, I was not nervous. I was just concentrating on the opportunity, trying to take advantage of it, trying to compete, fight and give my team a chance to win."

Ynoa on what was working: "The breaking ball was working, for sure. I was concentrating on attacking the ball and trying to get hitters for quick outs."

Ynoa on his start: "It was not perfect, obviously, but for the first time starting I think it was good. Hopefully, there's more to come."

Ynoa on whether there was more pressure because of Indians staff: "No, not really. I was just concentrating on beating them, trying to give my best effort. Things didn't work out, but I just tried to control what I can control."