Francisco Lindor’s 33rd homer leads torrid Cleveland over Mariners

SEATTLE – Now that he’s set a Cleveland record for home runs by a middle infielder, Francisco Lindor would rather remember 2017 for a far bigger accomplishment.

Lindor led off the game with his 33rd home run, and the Indians routed the Seattle Mariners 11-4 Saturday for their 28th victory in 30 games.

“It’s cool. Something that’ll be there for a long time,” Lindor said, “but I’m just focusing on trying to win. When you focus on winning, those things happen.”

Carlos Carrasco (17-6) matched teammate Cory Kluber and Boston’s Chris Sale for the most wins in the A.L., allowing one run and six hits in 5 2/3 innings. Yan Gomes homered twice and had four RBIs, and Jose Ramirez homered and drove in four runs.

Cleveland, which set the A.L. record with a 22-game winning streak this month, matched the 1884 Providence Grays for the best big league record over a 30-game span at 28-2. The Indians (97-58) lead Houston (95-59) for A.L. home-field advantage in the playoffs.

Lindor, a 23-year-old shortstop, homered on the eighth pitch from Andrew Moore (1-5) and surpassed the 32 home runs hit by second baseman Joe Gordon in 1948, the last year Cleveland won the World Series.

Lindor began the year without power expectations.

“I envisioned myself driving the ball,” he said. “Going 30 times, 33, 34 or 20 times, doesn’t matter to me, as long as I’m helping my team win.”

He has 18 home runs in 55 games hitting leadoff and 15 in 93 times in the No. 2 hole.

“I like leading off,” Lindor said. “I get to see what the pitcher is going to bring that day. I like getting things going.”

Seattle, which won 3-1 Friday, committed five errors and lost for the seventh time in eight games. The Mariners fell six games behind Minnesota for the second A.L. wild card with seven games left.

“I’m disappointed. … We just didn’t respond today,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said. “It was about catching the baseball and doing things right fundamentally. We haven’t done that. We’ve struggled with that. That’s one area we need to address here as we go forward.”

Nelson Cruz hit his 37th home run for Seattle, his fourth in four games. Mariners shortstop Jean Segura was hit in the hand by a thrown ball in the ninth and was removed. X-rays were negative.

Cleveland right fielder Jay Bruce also exited the game early because of a nagging heel injury. He is expected to be a designated hitter in Sunday’s series finale.