AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast

Cleveland 6, Chicago White Sox 2: Box Score

The Indians won yet again last night, continuing a two and a half week surge while getting contributions from the oddest of places and even setting an American League record for hitting futility. Taking on the Chicago White Sox and All-Star Mark Buehrle, it was not expected that Cleveland and lefty starter Jeremy Sowers would be able to contend for all nine innings. But yet again, just like last season when the Indians went 32-17 to end the year, they found a way to win thanks to a pair of home runs by catcher Kelly Shoppach and a quality start from Sowers.

Buehrle is on track for 30+ starts for a ninth straight season in the big leagues. In those nine years, only twice has he had an ERA above 3.90, and once has it been above 4.15. He has now thrown a no-hitter, a perfect game, been a four-time All-Star, set a Major League record by retiring 45 consecutive hitters and won a World Series title in 2005. All of that led to Friday night’s game with Cleveland where he faced the suddenly solid 26-year-old Sowers, who looked a lot more like the Buehrle of old than even Buehrle. The long-time Chi-Sox pitcher has not done too well in his career against the Tribe (now 10-14 with a 4.83 ERA), but nobody could have seen this exact result coming.

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