The Indians will look to set a new franchise record and win their 14th consecutive game when they take on the Blue Jays in a Canada Day matinee at Rogers Centre on Friday.
The Tribe extended its streak to 13 games with a 4-1 win in the series opener on Thursday, tying the club record set in 1942, and matched again in 1951. The 13-game winning streak is also the fifth longest in the Majors since 2000. The Indians have received contributions from the entire roster over that span, outscoring opponents 80-26, while their starters have pitched to a 10-0 record with a 1.86 ERA with 91 strikeouts, 24 walks and averaging 7 1/3 innings per start.
The streak will be put into the hands of right-hander Josh Tomlin, who is coming off an eight-inning performance his last time out against the Tigers. The 31-year-old scattered six hits and three earned runs in a 9-3 victory over Detroit and has gone at least 6 1/3 innings in each of his past five starts. Tomlin also is looking to become the second Indians starter with double-digit wins, joining Danny Salazar, who has 10.
Marcus Stroman counters for the Blue Jays and will look to get his season trending back in the right direction. Toronto's Opening Day starter has gone 2-4 in his past eight starts with a 7.54 ERA, and has allowed six runs or more in four of those starts. The 25-year-old did feel as though he made some strides his last time out, allowing four runs in five innings in a loss to the White Sox.
"I felt like I kept the ball on the ground, for the most part, besides maybe one or two pitches," said Stroman after that outing. "It felt like when they were beating me, it was on the ground in holes. I got a lot of groundouts, I was down in the zone and my velocity felt better."
Things to know about this game
• In honor of Canada Day, the Blue Jays will celebrate with festivities outside Rogers Centre beginning at 9:30 a.m. ET. The team will also host special pregame and in-game activities, while wearing a new 2016 Blue Jays Canada Day red jersey and special edition red Canada Day cap.
• A win on Friday would tie the Indians with the 2013 Braves for the fourth-longest winning since 2000. The '02 Athletics (20 consecutive wins), '00 Braves and '01 Mariners (15 consecutive wins) round out the list.
• Stroman's only career appearance against the Indians came in 2014, as a reliever, and he was roughed up for five runs -- four earned -- in 1 1/3 innings.
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