Cleveland Indians: Disagreeing with the negative streak narrative

The Cleveland Indians couldn’t translate the historic 22-game winning streak into postseason success, but the streak didn’t doom this team.

The Cleveland Indians didn’t lose a single game from August 24 to September 14.

The magical 22-game win streak will never be forgotten, but its significance took a major blow after the Indians fell to the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series.

I have been asked throughout the past week by several individuals if I think the streak affected the Indians heading into the postseason. Did it take too much out of them? Was all that winning preventing them from knowing how to bounce back from a loss?

I disagree with any take that says the streak was a negative thing. First off, the Indians lost in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series. They have felt the pain of a monumental loss, so the experience is there. They answered by winning 102 games in the 2017 season.

Breaking down the numbers from the streak shows it didn’t take too much out of the team either. They were simply playing great baseball.

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Only four of the 22 games were within one run, while the Indians shutout their opponents in seven of the games. The only crazy win was No. 22, which capped off the streak anyway. After the streak ended, the Indians responded by rattling off five straight wins.

I’m curious if fans who view the streak negatively wanted the Indians to lose on purpose, because they weren’t pressing at all to win these 22 games.

The pitching was phenomenal and so was the hitting. Reserve players were playing as well as the starters, making it impossible for opposing teams to have any advantage during the streak.

Tyler Olson became Andrew Miller and Corey Kluber cemented his case as a Cy Young favorite, while Jay Bruce made a name for himself in Cleveland in what unfortunately may be a forgotten stint if he leaves after the team failed to win a title.

When a team shocks fans with poor play, excuses are always sought. The streak narrative is easy because fans could say the team peaked too early. However, the streak ended two weeks before the regular season ended.

The Indians then proceeded to take a 2-0 series lead over the Yankees. Making uncharacteristic errors and shutting down on offense didn’t happen because this team won 22 straight games between August and September.

Next: The danger in expectations

They just lost their way.