Tribe ends game with highlight-reel double play

CLEVELAND -- Indians closer Cody Allen has been no stranger to late-inning drama this season. On Saturday against the Orioles, Cleveland catcher Yan Gomes saw to it that the ninth inning did not linger any longer than absolutely necessary.

With one out in the final frame, Allen and Gomes teamed on an impressive strike-him-out, throw-him-out play that provided an emphatic ending to the Tribe's 2-1 victory over Baltimore. The win marked the 13th in the past 18 games for the Indians, and perhaps Gomes should get partial credit for the save attached to Allen's pitching line.

"That's a nice play," Indians manager Terry Francona said of the game-ending double play.

Facing Baltimore's Matt Wieters, Allen uncorked an 86-mph breaking ball on an 0-2 count, and the Orioles designated hitter swung and missed as the pitch dove toward the dirt. On the strikeout, the baseball hit the ground, rattled off Gomes as he dropped to his knees and then bounced off Wieters' left leg before skipping to the catcher's left.

Chris Davis, who represented the tying run on first base, broke for second as the ball bounced away from Gomes. The catcher quickly shifted to his left, retrieved the ball and fired a strike up the middle to shortstop Mike Aviles, who applied the tag in time on Davis.

The highlight-reel double play clinched Allen's 13th save and the win for Cleveland.

"Boy, [Gomes] comes out of there in a hurry," Francona said. "That's nice to see. They've got some big bats that are lining up there and, when you don't have to face them, that helps."