![Indians celebration [Image by Andrew|Wikimedia Commons| Cropped | CC BY-SA 2.0 ]](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2017/9/14/660x290/b_502x220x82/indians-celebration-image-by-andrewwikimedia-commons-cropped-cc-by-sa-20_1569025.jpg "Indians celebration [Image by Andrew|Wikimedia Commons| Cropped | CC BY-SA 2.0 ]")
The Cleveland Indians make baseball history today by doing what no other team in the American League (AL) has ever done as they continued their dominant and historical winning streak. Plus, there have also been other historical feats around baseball in the last few days from the Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, and Pittsburgh Pirates.
Indians historical winning streak by the numbers
With their 5-3 victory at home against the Detriot Tigers, the Cleveland Indians won an unprecedented 21st game in a row, breaking out of a tie with the 2001 Oakland Athletics for the longest winning streak in AL history.
They are also tied with the 1880 Chicago White Stockings and the 1935 Chicago Cubs for the second longest winning streak in baseball history. Only the 1916 New York Giants have a longer winning streak with 26 games.
The Indians also tied the with those 1935 Cubs for the longest pure winning streak, meaning all the wins came in one season. Since they started their winning streak on August 24th, every other team in the American League has lost at least eight games.
Before the streak started, the Indians were 67-56 (.544%), just ahead of the 62 win Minnesota Twins in the AL Central. Now they are 90-56 (.616%), with the Twins being 14 games behind them. They are also sitting at the top of the whole AL, two games ahead of the Houston Astros and a lock to get back to the playoffs for the second year in a row.
That is something they have not done since 1998-99.
During 21-game win streak, CLE has 1.57 ERA, the 4th-best mark by a team in any 21-game span in a season in the Div Era (via @EliasSports )
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 14, 2017
With the Indians now in command of the American League they will try to hold onto the top spot over the final two weeks of the season that will see them play 16 more games.
The ultimate goal, of course, is to get back to the World Series and win their first championship in 68 years.
Other historical baseball notes
The Cleveland Indians have not been the only ones making baseball history recently, as ESPN Stats & Info provided all this historical context. On Tuesday the Minnesota Twins became the first team in the history of baseball to hit a home run in each of the 1st seven innings of a game in their 16-0 victory over the San Diego Padres.
Tuesday also saw Boston Red Sox sensation Mookie Betts became the first player with consecutive seasons of 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in team history.
Tonight saw Pittsburgh Pirates star Andrew McCutchen hit his 25th home run of the season and the 200th of his career. That makes him only the fourth player in Pirates history to hit that many joining Hall of Famers Roberto Clemente (240), Ralph Kiner (301) and Willie Stargell (475).
