CLEVELAND — (AP) Shane Bieber lowered his ERA to 1.63 in his final regular-season start and Jordan Luplow hit a game-ending home run that gave the Indians a 3-2 win over the Chicago White Sox Wednesday night.
Bieber, who leads the big leagues with eight wins, allowed an unearned run and two hits in five innings with 10 strikeouts in his eighth double-digit strikeout game, also the major league high. Although its in a shortened season, his ERA is the lowest in the American League since Luis Tiant's 1.60 mark for Cleveland in 1968.
With one out in a tie game in the bottom of the ninth, Luplow sent a 3-0 pitch onto the home run porch and punctuated the moment with a passionate bat flip before celebrating with his teammates at home plate. It was just the second home run of the year for Luplow, and marked the second straight night the Tribe had ended a game with a walk-off homer.
The loss dropped the White Sox into second in the AL Central, a half-game behind the Minnesota Twins. The Indians still sit third, two and a half games out of first. All three teams have already clinched playoff spots.
Cleveland will go for the four-game sweep Thursday night at 6:10 p.m., with Zach Plesac (4-2, 1.85 ERA) starting against Chicago's Dallas Keuchel (6-2, 2.04). The Tribe has won six of seven after previously enduring an eight-game losing streak.
