Cleveland Indians: 5 most memorable September moments since 2010

After missing the postseason in 2014 and 2015, the Cleveland Indians put together a stellar 2016 season that included a 14-game winning streak from June 17 to July 1.

As a result, Cleveland entered September in position to win their first AL Central title since 2007. To do so, they’d need to knockoff the Detroit Tigers on their home field who had won the division title five past seasons.

The Indians wasted no time putting the Tigers streak to bed as in the first game of the series, Cleveland jumped on Detroit starter Buck Farmer in the top of the second as Coco Crisp delivered a two-run home run.

Detroit would tie the score, but in the top of the fifth, RBI’s from Jason Kipnis and Mike Napoli put Cleveland ahead 4-2 and from there, the Tribe would never fall behind as they went onto win the game 7-4 and clinch their first division title in seven-years against the team who had owned the division.

The division clincher would be the start of a magical run for the 2016 Indians as they swept the Boston Red Sox in the ALDS, took down the Blue Jays in the ALCS and took the Chicago Cubs to extra innings of game seven in the world series before finally seeing their season end.

While the moment of clinching the division may be best known as a champagne celebration and end of a nine-year streak, winning on the field of the team that had ruled the division for half a decade makes the 2016 clincher among the most memorable of the last 10 years for the Indians.

On August 24 of 2017, the Indians defeated the Boston Red Sox by a score of 13-6 to improve to 70-56 on the season. At that point, no one knew by the time they lost their next game; they’d be 91-56.

From that date on, the Indians refused to lose. They swept the Yankees in the Bronx, Tigers in Motown White Sox on the South Side and the Orioles at home.

On September 12, the Indians defeated the Tigers at Progressive Field to win their 20th straight game and clinch the 2002 “Money Ball” Oakland A’s AL record winning streak. The following day, the Indians looked to sweep Detroit and set a new record.

They would do just that as home runs by Jay Bruce and Roberto Perez, along with a winning pitching performance from Mike Clevinger, guided Cleveland to a 5-3 win and an AL record-setting 21st win.

After the game, Bruce summed up the streak best by saying, “Who would’ve ever thought that we’d be in this situation? “I can’t even imagine.”

The victory came in front of a raucous home crowd of 29,346 fans as Indians nation watched history made from Progressive Field.

Entering September of 2013, the Indians’ chances at reaching the postseason seemed to be a long shot as best. The Tribe entered the month 72-64, trailed the Tigers by 7.5 games in the AL Central and were 3.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the second AL Wild Card spot.

Heading into the start of play on September 19, Cleveland had cut the gap with Tampa Bay and the Texas Rangers to just half a game and from that point on, made sure they would end their five-year postseason drought.

One of the most magical moments of their 10 game winning streak to finish off the 2013 season and clinch a postseason berth came on September 24 against the Chicago White Sox.

The White Sox traveled to Cleveland looking to play spoiler and appeared on their way to just that as they took a 4-3 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning.

With closer Addison Reed on the mound, the Indians odds appeared low as the White Sox closer struck out Cleveland catcher Yan Gomes to start the inning, allowed a single to Michael Brantley but then struck out Mike Aviles for the second out.

Down to their final out, Indians manager Terry Francona made a bold decision and sent 42-year old Jason Giambi to the plate to pinch-hit for Matt Carson.

The move would pay off as Giambi stunned the White Sox with a two-run walk-off home to clinch at what the time was a fifth straight win for the Indians. With his walk-off, Giambi became the oldest player in baseball history to hit a walk-off home run breaking a record that was previously held by hall of famer Hank Aaron.

The 2013 Cleveland Indians were one of baseball’s best surprise stories. After a 68-94 2012 season, Cleveland turned things around under first-year manager Terry Francona.

Entering the regular season’s final game, the Indians were riding a nine-game winning streak but still needed a victory over the Minnesota Twins at Target Field to clinch a postseason berth and avoid a potential three-way tie with the Rays and Rangers for a playoff spot.

Cleveland wasted no-time to burry the Twins as in the top of the first, Nick Swisher belted a two-run home run and in the top of the sixth, the Indians scored three-runs to take a 5-0 lead.

On the mound, Ubaldo Jimenez shutdown the Twins tossing 6.1 innings that saw him allow just one run.

In the bottom of the ninth, Justin Masterson was able to lock down the victory as Cleveland clinched their first postseason berth since 2013.

While they’d go onto lose the AL Wildcard game to the Rays at Progressive Field, the 2013 run was one for the history books for Cleveland given their unlikely playoff odds and 10-game win streak to finish the season.

It would also be a sign of great things to come as Francona later led the Indians to the World Series for the first time since 1997 and three straight AL Central titles.

The night after setting an AL Record with 21-straight wins, 30,874 packed Progressive Field to see if the Indians could make a run at the Giants 26-game MLB record set in 1916.

In the bottom of the ninth, it appeared the Indians streak was set to end at 21 as Francisco Lindor stepped to the plate with two-out and one-man on base against Royals two-time all-star and World Series champion closer Kelvin Herrera.

Instead, the Indians’ magic continued as Lindor lined a clutch double to tie the ball-game and send Progressive Field into a euphoria.

After a scoreless tenth from Cody Allen, the Indians wasted no-time in extras as in the bottom half of the inning, Jay Bruce ripped a walk-off double to score Jose Ramirez and clinch a 22nd straight Indians win.

More from Away Back Gone

• Cleveland Guardians tantalizingly close to locking up AL Central tiebreakers
• Cleveland Guardians: Terry Francona becomes meme in profanity-laced ejection
• Say goodbye to defensive shifts and hello to bigger bases, pitch clock in 2023
• Cleveland Guardians: Shane Bieber second-fastest to 800 strikeouts in major-league history
• The next week will make or break the Cleveland Guardians’ season

The Cleveland streak would end at 22 as the Royals won the following game and eventually, the Indians saw their season end in a disappointing five-game ALDS against the Yankees, but Bruce’s walk-off doesn’t just rank as the most memorable September moment in recent memory but perhaps one of the biggest hits in team history.