Corey Kluber

Corey Kluber struck out seven in eight innings Tuesday night to help the Indians run their winning streak to 11 games with a 5-3 win over Atlanta at Turner Field.

(John Bazemore, Associated Press)

ATLANTA -- Bummer alert.

The Indians are going to lose a game again. Corey Kluber just wanted you to know that.

It should be noted that Kluber said that after pitching eight sterling innings Tuesday night at Turner Field as the Indians beat Atlanta, 5-3, for their 11th straight victory. It's been 34 years since the Indians won 11 straight. The franchise record is 13 and that's been done twice, in 1942 and again in 1951.

So Kluber is probably on to something. Team Streak is bound to go off the rails somewhere along the line in the remaining 86 games on the schedule. If that's not the case, somebody should alert the city of Cleveland that it better start preparing for another parade. This time don't forget the barricades and if J.R. Smith shows up, somebody better buy him a winter coat.

Kluber isn't a wet blanket, but he is pragmatic.

He says the winning streak is rarely mentioned in the clubhouse. That might be because his teammates are too busy planting rubber snakes in ice coolers to scare unsuspecting victims, but a six-game lead in the AL Central is probably something that has caught their attention.

"No one is really talking about a winning streak or this or that," said Kluber. "We realize that we're playing well and we're just trying to keep that going. Ultimately an 11-game winning streak doesn't really mean much if you don't continue to build on the momentum that you have throughout that winning streak."

The Indians have momentum, all right. They're 16 games over .500 at 46-30 and have won 20 of their last 26. The last time they had this big a lead at this point of the season was 2007 when they won the division and reached Game 7 of the ALCS.

"I think we're just taking it game by game and trying to keep it rolling," said Kluber. "At some point in time we're going to lose a game and then we're going to have to start back up the next day and win that one."

Kluber (8-7, 3.50) allowed two runs on three hits. He struck out seven and walked one. In his last two starts, he's allowed two runs in 17 innings with 16 strikeouts and three walks. In those two games he threw 67 percent (136 of 202) of his pitches for strikes.

Tuesday night Kluber needed just 87 pitches to get through eight innings. The extra rest he received after his last start probably had something to do with that, but like most things Kluber didn't make too much of it.

"Tito (manager Terry Francona) was looking to give me a couple extra days and that's fine," said Kluber.

Kluber was removed for a pinch-hitter in the ninth with the score tied, 2-2, after Tyler Naquin and Juan Uribe started the inning with walks. The Indians came through with three runs and closer Cody Allen hung on for the save to get Kluber the win.

The streak continued and so did the momentum. In the long run it will be interesting to see which one means the most to the Tribe's season.