Trout's HR streak ends at seven games; Guardians win fifth in row

CLEVELAND (AP) — Angels star Mike Trout's streak of consecutive games hitting a home run ended at seven, one shy of the major league record, and the AL Central-leading Cleveland Guardians beat Los Angeles 3-1 on Tuesday night.

Trout went 0 for 3 with three routine flyballs and a walk. The three-time AL MVP was chasing the mark of eight straight games with a home run, set by Pittsburgh’s Dale Long in 1956 and matched by Don Mattingly of the Yankees in 1987 and Seattle’s Ken Griffey Jr. in 1993.

Trout admitted the streak had been on his mind.

“I'm not going to lie,” he said. “I've been thinking about it, for sure. Everybody's been texting me. You guys are asking me a bunch of questions. It's kind of hard not to.”

Trout said a home run was especially in his thoughts when he batted against hard-throwing James Karinchak in the eighth that resulted in a fly to right on a 2-1 pitch.

“It's the nature of things, I guess,” he said. “When I think home run, not good as you saw. I chased some pitches and was amped up too much. Got to start a new streak, I guess.”

Guardians manager Terry Francona wished Trout well before the game, to a certain extent .

“If I was a fan, I'd be glued to my seat in the hopes he would hit eight,” Francona said. “Since I'm glued to my seat there (in the dugout), I hope he doesn't. But he's good for the game. He's actually great for the game.”

Oscar Gonzalez’s two-run homer in the sixth broke a 1-all tie and gave Cleveland its fifth straight win. José Ramirez started the inning with a double and Gonzalez lined an 0-2 pitch from José Suarez (6-7) off the railing atop the wall in left field.

Gonzalez, one of several rookies who have made a major contribution in Cleveland’s surprising season, has eight home