Joba Chamberlain allowed two runs in a career-high eight innings and the New York Yankees set a record for consecutive games without making an error in a 5-2 victory against the Cleveland Indians on Monday.
Chamberlain (3-1) retired the first 11 batters before Victor Martinez's home run in the fourth. He allowed four hits, walked two and struck out five. Mariano Rivera worked a perfect ninth for his 11th save in 12 chances.
New York played error free for the 18th straight game, surpassing Boston's mark of 17 games set in 2006. New York's last error came on May 13 at Toronto when shortstop Ramiro Pena misplayed a ground ball.
Nick Swisher doubled home a pair of runs against Greg Aquino (1-1) and Alex Rodriguez singled home two more in a four-run seventh inning as the Yankees won for the 15th time in 19 games.
It was plenty of support for Chamberlain, who was making his first start at Progressive Field since midges swarmed him during the American League Division Series in 2007. The bugs were distracting him when he walked Grady Sizemore and threw two wild pitches that enabled Cleveland to tie — and ultimately win — the game. The Indians went on to eliminate New York in four games.
This time, the midges didn't affect Chamberlain — and neither did Tribe batters.
The Indians ran themselves out of a scoring chance in the fifth, thanks to a tremendous diving catch Chamberlain turned into a double play.
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With runners on first and second, he sprinted off the mound and stretched parallel to the ground to catch a popped up bunt by Kelly Shoppach. Chamberlain stood and threw to second to double up Ryan Garko, capping the play with a shout and fist pump. Jamey Carroll was thrown out trying to steal second to end the inning.
The Yankees squandered one bases-loaded scoring chance off Aquino (1-1), but not the second.
Aquino entered in the sixth with no outs after starter Jeremy Sowers, who breezed through five innings, walked the bases loaded on 13 pitches. Indians pitchers set a season high with 11 walks.
Aquino struck out Rodriguez, got a force at the plate on Jorge Posada's tapper back to the mound and ended the inning with Robinson Cano's lazy fly ball to left.
New York didn't let him get away so easily in the seventh, when Aquino walked the bases loaded.
Swisher's double high off the wall in left broke a 1-1 tie before Rodriguez's single off reliever Luis Vizcaino extended the lead.
