CLEVELAND -- The Houston Astros tied an American League record Monday by hitting a home run in their 12th consecutive postseason game, and advanced to the AL Championship Series for the second straight year, completing a division-round sweep of Cleveland with an 11-3 victory.
George Springer's fifth-inning home run off Mike Clevinger tied the game 1-1 and extended a streak that began in last year's postseason. Houston homered in two games against the Yankees in the 2017 ALCS, in seven games against the Dodgers in winning last season's World Series and then all three games this postseason against Cleveland.
The Baltimore Orioles previously hit home runs in 12 consecutive playoff games from 1983 to 1997.
The longest such postseason streak is 13 games -- done by the Astros, when they were in the National League, from 2001 to 2004.
Springer added a second home run and Carlos Correa hit a three-run homer as the defending-champion Astros moved closer to reaching their second straight World Series.
Springer's first-pitch home run into the left-field seats in the fifth inning was his second of the series and ninth in the postseason in his career, an Astros team record. Springer has hit a home run in six of his past seven postseason games.
Springer's excuse-me bunt for a hit in the seventh helped ignite a three-run rally for the Astros, wiping out an Indians lead. Francisco Lindor had homered to give Cleveland a 2-1 edge.
Springer added another solo home run in the eighth, his third of this postseason, in a best-of-five series many expected to be much more competitive.
The Astros will play either the Boston Red Sox or the New York Yankees in the ALCS.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
