Cleveland Stat of the Day: Sept./Oct. 2021

MLB.com is keeping track of a Stat of the Day for the Indians this season, highlighting a unique, interesting or fun nugget from each game.

• Indians Stat of the Day: August 2021

Oct 3: Indians 6, Rangers 0 -- End-of-season shutout
Cleveland came up one game short of avoiding the club's first losing since since 2012, but it rebounded in the season finale to shut out the Rangers and secure the season-series victory, 4-2. It marked the third time in franchise history that the Indians ended the year with a shutout voctory and the first since Oct. 1, 1989, against the White Sox (1-0 win).

Oct. 2: Rangers 7, Indians 2 -- Offense goes quiet
Cleveland's offense was nearly silent for the entirety of Saturday's matchup against Texas. The team was held to just two hits through the first eight frames before picking up three singles in the top of the ninth. But the five total hits marked the 42nd time Cleveland's offense was held to five hits or fewer -- tying it with the Mariners for the most such games in the American League.

The 42nd game with five hits or fewer also broke a tie with the 1917 club for most such games in franchise history.

Oct. 1: Indians 9, Rangers 6 -- What a relief
In the series opener against the Rangers at Globe Life Field, Bryan Shaw made his 457th career appearance for Cleveland, dethroning Cody Allen (456) for the most by a reliever in club history. Shaw pitched in 378 games in his stint with Cleveland from 2013-17, leading the Majors twice and the American League once in appearances during that span. Now, he once again leads the AL with 79 outings in 2021.

Sept. 30: Indians 6, Royals 1 -- Another strong year vs. KC
The Indians not only avoided their fifth series sweep of at least three games this season with a victory in the series finale at Kauffman Stadium, but they also tied their record for the most wins against the Royals in a single season. Cleveland went 14-5 against Kansas City, tying its single-season record set in 2016, and has now won six straight season series against the Royals.

Sept. 29: Royals 10, Indians 5 -- J-Ram gets to 100 RBIs
For the second time in his career, José Ramírez has joined the 100 RBI club thanks to a sacrifice fly against the Royals. It's the first time a Cleveland player reached that mark since he and Edwin Encarnación both did so in 2018.

Ramírez joins an elite list of just four primary third basemen in Cleveland history to post multiple 100-RBI seasons, joining Al Rosen (four from 1950-52), Ken Keltner (two, 1938, '48) and Larry Gardner (two, 1920, '21). He's also just the eighth player in Major League history to have multiple seasons with at least 100 runs, 100 RBIs, 35 homers and 25 stolen bases, joining Barry Bonds, Alfonso Soriano, Alex Rodriguez, Jeff Bagwell, Howard Johnson, José Canseco and Darryl Strawberry.

Sept. 28: Royals 6, Indians 4 -- KC win streak snapped
Cleveland has struggled with consistency this season, but the Tribe seemed to find some in Kansas City. But the club saw its nine-game win streak at Kauffman Stadium -- that dated to Aug. 31, 2020 -- snapped with its 30th blown-lead loss of the year in the series opener. Cleveland had outscored the Royals, 55-21, in that previous span.

Sept. 27: Indians 8, Royals 3 -- Shaw approaching history
A random one-inning appearance in a five-run victory may not seem memorable for most, but for Bryan Shaw, it was one step closer to making club history. In five years with Cleveland from 2013-17 and now another season in '21, Shaw has racked up the second-most outings (456) in club history. With six games remaining, he has plenty of time to surpass Cody Allen, who has one more career appearance with Cleveland (457).

Sept. 26: White Sox 5, Indians 2 -- Speed at the top of the order
Myles Straw has locked up his everyday center field job for the Indians for the foreseeable future, and since he was added to the club at the Trade Deadline, the team has been able to get a glimpse at the speed he brings at the top of the order. In the series finale against the White Sox, Straw added another stolen bag to his stats sheet. His 28 stolen bases are tied for the fifth most in the Majors. He's also swiped 11 bags since his first game with Cleveland on July 31, which is tied for the sixth most in MLB during that span.

Sept. 25: Indians 6, White Sox 0 -- Sixth inning magic
With an RBI single in the sixth inning against the White Sox, Franmil Reyes tied his personal best with 81 RBIs in a season. He also hit that mark in 2019 in his time with the Padres and Indians, collectively. The Indians have now scored an MLB-leading 100 runs in the sixth inning this year. In that frame alone, Reyes has posted a .370 average with six doubles, four homers, 10 walks and 19 RBIs.

Sept. 24: White Sox 1, Indians 0 -- J-Ram flashing the tools
José Ramírez has quietly put together another MVP-caliber season and the stats continue to back it up. Against the White Sox, Ramírez recorded his 25th stolen base of the season in the fourth inning, becoming the only player in the Majors this season with at least 30 doubles, more than 30 homers and at least 25 stolen bases.

Sept. 23: White Sox 7, Indians 2 (Game 1); Indians 5, White Sox 3 (Game 2) -- Walk-off celebration
In a quieter season than the Indians have been used to, the team has still been able to find a handful of times to celebrate, including the nightcap of the doubleheader against the White Sox. Oscar Mercado's first career walk-off homer was the fifth for Cleveland this season, marking the most walk-off home runs in the American League and the second most in the Majors behind Colorado (seven). Since 2013, the Indians have hit 33 walk-off homers, which is the most in the Majors during that span.

Sept. 21: Indians 4, Royals 1 -- Cy Quantrill?
If Cal Quantrill had started the year in the Indians' rotation instead of the bullpen, maybe he could be a name in the AL Cy Young Award discussion. Since the All-Star break, he's found a way to best all other pitchers who have made at least 13 second-half starts with his 1.76 ERA, topping St Louis' Adam Wainwright (2.08), San Francisco's Logan Webb (2.24) and Toronto's Robbie Ray (2.21). His opponents' batting average of .200 (58-for-290) is also the best among that group.

Sept. 20: Royals 7, Indians 2 (Game 1); Royals 4, Indians 2 (Game 2) -- Swipes streak snapped
Myles Straw was caught attempting to steal second base in the first inning of Game 1 in the doubleheader, ending an impressive run of thefts by the Tribe. Cleveland was successful in 36 straight stolen-base attempts, just four shy of the Major League record set by the Red Sox from August 2013 to April 2014. The 36 straight steals were the most in club history, dating to 1920, when the stolen base was first tracked.

Sept. 19: Indians 11, Yankees 1 -- Encore! Cleveland rocks Bronx
The Indians have had trouble scoring consistently this season, but that wasn't the case against the Yankees in the Bronx. After scoring 11 runs in the second game of the three-game set, Cleveland followed with another 11-run performance in the series finale despite Gerrit Cole on the rubber. This marked the first time since June 28-29, 1997, that the Indians have scored more than 10 runs in consecutive games against the Yankees.

Sept. 18: Indians 11, Yankees 3 -- Can José catch ... himself?
José Ramírez has limited time to reach a milestone he set in 2018, but he is putting together a strong effort to beat his own record for the most home runs by a switch-hitter in a single season in club history. He set the record just four years ago with 39 big flies to best his former teammate, Francisco Lindor, who had 38 that season. Behind that duo, Carlos Santana's '19 and '16 seasons are tied with Ramírez's 34-homer season this year for third place. Ramírez has 16 games left to try to climb higher on this list.

Sept. 17: Yankees 8, Indians 0 -- Ramírez flashing all the tools
Indians third baseman José Ramírez not only continues to prove what he can do with his bat and his capabilities of having a more sound defensive season than any other in his career, but he consistently shows his speed isn't going anywhere. A stolen base in the series opener at Yankee Stadium improved his success rate to 88.9% in stolen-base attempts on the season. His 24 swiped bags rank eighth in the Majors (fifth in the American League) and he's gone a perfect 14 for 14 in his attempts since July 28.

Sept. 15: Indians 12, Twins 3 -- J-Ram is an XBH machine
José Ramírez doubled in the fourth inning, giving him 67 extra-base hits this season. He started the day just two behind Atlanta's Ozzie Albies (68) for the most extra-base hits by a switch-hitter in the Major Leagues this season. He has 332 extra-base hits since the start of the 2017 season, the most among MLB players over that span.

Sept. 14: Indians 3, Twins 1 (7); Twins 6, Indians 3 (7) -- Zimmer takes it deep
Bradley Zimmer snapped an 0-for-13 streak with a 451-foot home run in the first game, hitting the ball to the back of the second deck in right field at Target Field. That's tied for the fifth longest homer by a Cleveland player this season and is Zimmer's third longest. He has the two longest Indians home runs: a 471-foot blast on Aug. 9 and a 465-foot shot on Aug. 26. Four of Zimmer's seven homers have traveled at least 446 feet.

Sept 12: Brewers 11, Indians 1 -- Tough series for Cleveland
From the ninth inning of the series opener against the Brewers through the fifth inning of the series finale, the Indians were unable to record a hit. That 15-inning stretch was Cleveland’s longest hitless drought dating back to at least 1961, according to Elias Sports Bureau, surpassing the high-water mark of 12-inning stretches (last recorded Sept. 24-26, 1978). The Indians also became the fifth team in the last 25 years to go hitless in at least 15 straight frames, joining the Mariners (2019), Rockies (2013), Twins (2012) and Astros (2008).

Sept. 11: Brewers 3, Indians 0 -- Plesac unlucky in no-nos
If it wasn't difficult enough for Cleveland to swallow the fact that it became the first club in AL/NL history to be no-hit three times in a single season, Zach Plesac has also found himself in a similar category. Somehow, the Indians' righty was on the rubber in each of the three instances, becoming the first pitcher to do so (either reliever or starter) in a single season. Jim Perry was the only pitcher in MLB history who had previously started in three no-hitters for the losing team over his career (Sept. 21, 1970, with Oakland; April 27, 1973, with Kansas City; July 15, 1973, with California).

Sept. 10: Brewers 10, Indians 3 -- Running toward history
Six stolen bases in the series opener against Milwaukee extended the Indians' franchise record to 35 consecutive successful stolen-base attempts, having last been caught stealing on Aug. 11 against Oakland. It was the most bases Cleveland has swiped in a game since stealing eight on Aug. 12, 2016. The Indians will look to chase down the single-season MLB record of 39 consecutive stolen bases, which Boston set in August and September 2013.

Sept. 9: Indians 4, Twins 1 -- J-Ram keeps delivering deep
José Ramírez has been the heartbeat of the lineup for a handful of seasons and the numbers certainly back it up. After his long ball in the series finale against the Twins, he's now totaled 152 homers since the start of 2016 -- the most among MLB switch-hitters in that span, ahead of Kansas City's Carlos Santana (142). And his 50 homers since 2020 are tied for the fourth most in the Majors among all hitters.

Sept. 8: Twins 3, Indians 0 -- Cleveland shut out ... again
The Indians are used to seeing their AL Central foes often during a regular season. But somehow, for more than 58 years, Cleveland avoided doing exactly what it did on Wednesday against Minnesota. The loss to Joe Ryan and the Twins marked Cleveland's first time being held scoreless in consecutive games against Minnesota since being shut out in a doubleheader on July 24, 1963 (9-0 and 5-0).

Sept. 7: Twins 3, Indians 0 -- J-Ram can run, too!
So much attention falls on José Ramírez's bat every year, and for good reason. However, the Indians' third baseman is also climbing his way up the club's stolen base leaderboard. Against the Twins, Ramírez stole his 21st bag of the season, which also marked the 148th of his career. That's tied for the 11th most steals in franchise history with Jack Greney, and it also extended the Indians' current streak of successful stolen base attempts to 29 -- the longest such streak in club history since steals started being recorded in 1920.

Sept. 6: Twins 5, Indians 2 -- Club sets new HR mark
The Indians have been flexing their muscles unlike ever before, and a Statcast-projected 423-foot blast by Franmil Reyes in the series opener against the Twins at Progressive Field set a franchise record. Cleveland has now hit at least one home run in each of its last 20 games, besting the previous record of 19 straight games set in 2000.

Sept. 5: Indians 11, Red Sox 5 -- Reyes matches career high
Franmil Reyes led the offensive charge for Cleveland in the finale, going 4-for-4 (including a solo homer) with three RBIs. The designated hitter tied a career high by reaching base safely five times, and set a season high in hits. Sunday marked the eighth time this season Reyes has recorded three or more RBIs in a game -- with the last time he did so coming on Aug. 20 against the Angels. The only Indians player to have more games with three or more RBIs this season is José Ramírez, who has 10.

Sept. 4: Red Sox 4, Indians 3 -- Ramírez's three-peat
With his sixth-inning steal against Boston, José Ramírez became the first player in the Majors with 20-plus homers and 20-plus stolen bases in 2018, '19 and '21. Due to the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, no player notched 20/20 last year, though Ramírez was on pace to do so in the 60-game regular season. Ramírez's steal on Sept. 4 marked his 20th of the season. The third baseman has 32 homers thus far, tied for the fifth-most in the American League.

Sept. 3: Red Sox 8, Indians 5 -- J-Ram extends homer streak
With José Ramírez's fourth-inning home run, Cleveland extended its homer streak to 17 consecutive games. The streak, which dates back to Aug. 15, is the fourth-longest single-season streak in franchise history, and the club's longest since May 7-28, 2000, when it homered in a franchise-record 19 straight games. Cleveland's current streak is the second-longest in the Majors this year, behind Houston's 18-game streak from July 19 to Aug. 8.

Sept. 2: Indians 4, Royals 2 -- 11 in a row
The Indians struggled against the Royals on April 5 in Cleveland's home opener at Progressive Field. After that, the team has fallen into a groove. With a three-game sweep of Kansas City at Kauffman Stadium, the Indians have won 11 consecutive games against the Royals, setting a club record. The team's previous best win streak against Kansas City was 10 straight games from July to September 2005.

Sept. 1: Indians 5, Royals 3 (11) -- Clase extends hot streak
Emmanuel Clase pitched a scoreless ninth, extending his scoreless streak to 20 1/3 consecutive innings, dating back to July 17. That keeps him on pace with St. Louis' Luis Garcia for the longest active streak in the Majors, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, and it's the longest scoreless streak by a Cleveland reliever since Vinnie Pestano (21 innings) in 2012.