Jason Kipnis soured Joel De La Cruz’s Major League debut with a two-out, two-run single in the fifth and Danny Salazar enhanced his All-Star candidacy as the Indians extended their winning streak to 12 games with Wednesday night’s 3-0 victory over the Braves at Turner Field.
Salazar won his sixth straight start and lowered his ERA to 2.22 with seven scoreless innings. Kipnis extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a two-run single that followed Rajai Davis’ two-out single. Lonnie Chisenhall’s two-out solo homer in the sixth inning provided some insurance for the Indians, who are one win shy of matching the franchise-best 13-game win streak recorded in both 1942 and ’51.
“You try not to think about it too much and just play hard every day,” Chisenhall said. “With the guys running out there who are on the mound for us, it’s not too difficult on the offense, and we’re getting some timely hits when we need them. It’s a fun part of the summer where we’re able to try to separate ourselves.”
The Braves have lost six of eight since recording a season-best six-game winning streak. They received more than they could have expected from De La Cruz, who allowed three earned runs over six innings. The 27-year-old right-hander was promoted from Triple-A Gwinnett to fill the rotation spot vacated when Aaron Blair was optioned to Gwinnett.
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