RECORD RUN

Now that they’ve set an AL record with 21 consecutive wins, the seemingly unstoppable Indians take aim at the major league mark of 26 in a row by the 1916 New York Giants. Cleveland tries for No. 22 when it hosts Kansas City in the opener of a four-game series. Josh Tomlin, who is 5-0 with a 2.57 ERA in his last six outings, pitches against Royals rookie Jake Junis. Kansas City was outscored 20-0 during its three-day visit to Cleveland last month, but maybe Junis can finally slow down the Indians. He is 4-0 with a 2.48 ERA in his past six starts. With a 5-3 victory Wednesday over Detroit, the Indians matched the 1935 Chicago Cubs for the second-longest winning streak since 1900. One note about those 1916 Giants – their century-old record includes a tie during the string. At 14-0, the Indians are off to the best September start since the 1991 Minnesota Twins went 15-0.

EVEN STRONGER

As if the Indians needed any help, they expect to get All-Star reliever Andrew Miller back following his second stint on the disabled list with knee tendinitis. Cleveland pitching coach Mickey Callaway said the club hopes to have Miller pitch Thursday in a ”low leverage” situation where he gets one out in an inning. From there, the Indians will give Miller a few days off and then steadily increase his workload to prepare him for the postseason. ”He feels great,” Callaway said. ”We’re very encouraged with everything so far.” One of the majors’ best late-inning pitchers, Miller is 4-3 with a 1.65 ERA in 48 games.

KING FELIX RETURNS

Felix Hernandez (5-4) is expected to come off the disabled list to make his first start for Seattle since July 31, when he also pitched at Texas. Hernandez is set to start the finale of a four-game series against the Rangers, but could be limited to about 50-60 pitches. This is the second time this season Hernandez has been on the DL because of right shoulder bursitis – he missed almost two months the other time. Hernandez is 19-23 with a 3.93 ERA in 52 career starts against Texas.

MARLINS TO MILWAUKEE

After wrapping up their series in Philadelphia, the Marlins will head to Milwaukee rather than back home. The team’s three-game series starting Friday against the Brewers has been moved from Miami to Wisconsin as South Florida recovers from Hurricane Irma. Miami, which has lost four in a row and 14 of 16, will be the home team in Milwaukee – but the first game at Marlins Park since the storm will instead be Monday against the New York Mets. Marlins officials didn’t want to strain the resources of police and fire rescue crews to work the Brewers games.

”All of our employees, as well as our entire community, have other needs that must take a priority,” team president David Samson said in a statement.

Major League Baseball agreed the decision was in the best interests of South Florida, Samson said. The switch means three extra games at Miller Park for the Brewers, who are competing for a National League playoff berth.

”It works out certainly good for us,” manager Craig Counsell said. ”I hope it turns out to be an advantage, I’m not going to lie to you.”

The series is the third in the majors to switch sites in recent weeks because of hurricanes.

The scheduling change means Miami’s current trip will become a three-city, 10-game swing. In anticipation of Irma, family members accompanied the team on its trip, and they’re expected to go to Milwaukee as well.

HOME RUN HAPPY

Philadelphia rookie Rhys Hoskins tries to go deep again when the Phillies host Miami. He hit his 17th homer in just his 33rd major league game Wednesday night. Hoskins, called up from the minors on Aug. 10, is the fastest player in big league history to get to 17 career homers. The previous record was 42 games by Wally Berger, an outfielder for the Boston Braves in 1930.

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Championship-level chill.

In one corner, All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor smiles while peeling off his backpack and tosses it in his cubicle before cracking a joke at the expense of rookie center fielder Bradley Zimmer. Across the room, Jay Bruce re-arranges a few boxes that the outfielder hasn’t had time to unpack since arriving in a trade from New York while reliever Joe Smith and starter Josh Tomlin argue over who has the higher average fastball velocity.

There’s music, laughter, video games and no signs of stress.

Yeah, these are indeed good times for the Cleveland Indians, who haven’t lost in more than two weeks – and act as if they won’t lose again.

With a win-today-and-forget-yesterday attitude that has filtered down from manager Terry Francona, the Indians, who came up one win short of a World Series title last season, are on the most impressive run since the franchise was founded in 1901.

On Saturday, the Indians extended their team-record winning streak to 17 with a 4-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles, the latest team flattened by this runaway, run-scoring, run-stopping machine.

Cleveland’s streak is the second longest in the majors since 1961, trailing only the ”Moneyball” 2002 Oakland Athletics, who won 20 in a row.

The Indians, who recently completed the first 11-0 road trip since the Cincinnati Reds in 1957, and nine wins from matching the record of 26 in a row set by the 1916 New York Giants, who had a rain-interrupted 1-1 tie during that span. In baseball, ties don’t count in a team’s record.

”Nobody in here is really talking about it,” said superstar-on-deck Lindor, who seems to get a big hit or make a dazzling play each game. ”Everyone else is talking about it, but we’re not.”

There’s plenty to discuss when considering what the Indians have accomplished during their torrid streak:

– Outscored opponents 118-30 while posting five of their baseball-best 17 shutouts.

– Trailed in just four of 153 innings, and scored first in the first 16 games of the streak.

– Swept a three-game series at Yankee Stadium for the first time since 1989, a four-game series in Detroit for the first time ever and two doubleheaders in three days.

– Became the first team since the ’35 Cubs to post winning streaks of at least 14 games in consecutive seasons.

– Done it all without All-Star reliever Andrew Miller, outfielder Michael Brantley and Jason Kipnis, three of their best players who are sidelined by injuries.

Miller is nearing a return, but joked that now might not be the best time.

”I don’t want to come back and mess it up,” Miller said. ”These guys are doing pretty good. A lot of things have gone our way, but these guys are playing really well. They’re creating their own breaks. It’s been really fun to watch. It’s not a lot of fun to miss out on. Every night I turn on the TV and it’s pretty incredible what they’ve been doing, winning games in all three facets of the game or whatever it takes or whatever it is.

”The guys who have come up have done a great job. It’s a testament to this team, the depth, everything. We’re in a good spot.”

The winning streak began two days after Miller, arguably the team’s most irreplaceable player, went on the disabled list with knee tendinitis. At that moment, it seemed Cleveland’s dreams of getting back to the Series were in jeopardy and the AL Central wasn’t a given.

But not only have the Indians coped minus Miller, they’ve thrived. That’s not to say they won’t need the lights-out left-hander to get them through October, but Cleveland, which lost to the Chicago Cubs in last year’s Series, has shown it can win in a variety of ways.

Francona has gotten contributions from the entire roster, including players who didn’t arrive until Sept. 1.

”When you’re plugging in guy after guy and you’re still winning, that’s what makes it fun,” said closer Cody Allen. ”We did that last year, too, when guys were injured and others stepped in and had success.”

Francona has been hesitant to say much about the streak, not wanting it to become something his players are focused on trying to maintain.

”I don’t think anybody’s getting caught up (in the streak),” Francona said. ”We’re keeping an eye on that pretty close and they’re doing a good job.”

Surely it will end at some point, and when it does the Indians will resume chasing their first Series championship since 1948.

Until then, they’re having fun doing something few teams have accomplished.

Francona smiled when asked if he had ever been on a team that won 16 straight games.

”My high school baseball coach texted me the other day, because we went 14-0 that year,” he said. ”But we ran out of games because the season was over.”

His Indians are far from done.

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Swisher passed his physical with the Cleveland Indians on Thursday and signed the four-year, $56 million, free-agent contract he agreed to last month.

The 32-year-old Swisher, born in Columbus, Ohio, will be introduced at a news conference later at Progressive Field. Swisher’s deal includes a vesting option based on plate appearances for 2017.

After trading Shin-Soo Choo last month, the Indians were desperate for a proven right fielder. They pursued Shane Victorino at the winter meetings. But after he signed with Boston, the Indians turned their attention to Swisher, who batted .272 with 24 homers and 93 RBIs last season — his fourth with the New York Yankees.

A switch hitter, Swisher should provide power and versatility to new manager Terry Francona’s lineup. The Indians only hit 136 homers last season, second-fewest in the AL.

Swisher drew interest from several teams, but the Indians were the most aggressive and used his Ohio connections to convince him to come to Cleveland.

When Swisher and his wife, actress Joanna Garcia Swisher, visited Cleveland last month, the club rolled out the scarlet-and-gray carpet to impress them. Swisher attended Ohio State, where he played baseball. The Indians brought in former Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel to have lunch with Swisher, and the team also had recorded messages from coach Urban Meyer as well as Buckeyes basketball coach Thad Matta play on the giant scoreboard, urging him to come “home.”

Francona’s arrival in Cleveland also had an impact on Swisher.

Swisher’s father, Steve, managed Francona in the minor leagues. Francona has known Swisher since he was a kid.

Swisher is just one of three American Leaguers to hit at least 20 homers in each of the past eight seasons. He’s a career .256 hitter with 209 homers and 673 RBIs in nine seasons with Oakland, the Chicago White Sox and Yankees.

With New York concerned about avoiding the luxury tax in the future, the Yankees did not go after Swisher after he turned down a qualifying offer from them. Once Swisher signed with the Indians, New York general manager Brian Cashman said he thought “Cleveland got a bargain.”

Swisher made the AL’s All-Star team in 2010, when he batted .288 with 29 homers and 89 RBIs.

His signing is among many moves made this offseason by the Indians, who collapsed in August — going 5-24 — and finished 68-94 last season. The first change may have been the biggest as manager Manny Acta was fired and replaced by Francona, who won two World Series titles with Boston.

Cleveland also signed free agent first baseman Mark Reynolds and acquired center fielder Drew Stubbs and prized-pitching prospect Trevor Bauer in a nine-player, three-team trade with Cincinnati and Arizona.

The Indians have an agreement with right-hander Brett Myers on a one-year, $7 million contract pending a physical. Myers likely would take one of the openings in the club’s starting rotation.

Cleveland remains in the market for a designated hitter.

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