9th win in a row! Guardians beat Angels 5-4

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ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Ben Lively pitched well, allowing just two runs in seven innings, and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Los Angeles Angels 5-4 on Sunday for their ninth straight win.

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It’s Cleveland’s longest winning streak since an AL-record 22-game winning streak from Aug. 24-Sept. 14, 2017. It tied the franchise’s previous best record of 36-17 in 53 games, set in 1920, 1954 and 1995. The team reached the World Series in all three seasons, winning the championship in 1920.

“It’s fun. This is their job. I’m not doing anything,” first-year Cleveland manager Steven Vogt said. “It’s all down to the guys that are out there. This team trusts each other. All 13 guys are playing. Everybody’s contributing. They’re coming off the bench and getting big hits. Our pitching staff has really stepped up. It’s been a fun week and a half. Hopefully it continues.”

Lively (4-2) allowed four hits, struck out five and walked two, while Emanuel Klass got three outs to earn his 17th save in 20 chances.

“It’s amazing,” Lively said of the winning streak. “Let’s just keep going and see how far it goes. Let’s keep going with the same feeling.”

Matt Theis homered for the Angels, who lost for the fourth time in five games. Reid Detmers (3-5) struck out eight in five innings but allowed three runs and four hits.

Cleveland star Jose Ramirez walked twice and homered three times with one RBI in the first two games of the series. In the eighth inning, Ramirez was robbed of a home run when Jo Adell made a jump catch in right field.

The Guardians scored three runs in the sixth inning to take a 5-2 lead.

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With one out, Jonathan Rodriguez reached base on a leadoff single, then Austin Hedges and Brian Rocchio walked before Tyler Freeman was hit by Adam Cimber’s pitch to score a run. Andres Jimenez singled for one run, and Ramirez walked Matt Moore’s hit to bring in another run.

“That sixth inning was what doomed us,” Los Angeles manager Ron Washington said. “We just couldn’t get out of there.”

The Angels pulled within 5-4 in the eighth inning on hits from Luis Rengifo and Kevin Pillar, but the comeback came to an end when Adell struck out swinging to end the inning.

Cleveland’s Rodriguez hit a two-run single in the third inning, but Theis tied the game in the fifth inning with his first home run of the season with two outs.

Jimenez was hit in the head by a pitch from Detmers in the third inning, his helmet came off and he was evaluated by an athletic trainer but played in the game.

“It was the first time I’ve been hit in the head, but I hope it’s the last,” said Jimenez, who has 32 RBIs this season.

The Angels fell to 6-19 at home.

Trainer Room

Guardians: RHP Carlos Carrasco (neck spasms) pitched up and down the bullpen.

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Guardians: RHP Xavion Curry (2-0, 1.93 ERA) will make his third start of the season on Monday at Colorado.

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