KANSAS CITY — The Guardians needed a win and some help Saturday night to clinch the American League Central.
They got both.
Cleveland overcame a rough first inning and pulled away for an 11-5 victory over Kansas City at Kauffman Stadium. Combined with the White Sox loss to Colorado, the win secured Cleveland’s third consecutive AL Central championship and the No. 2 seed in the American League.
Kansas City jumped on Tanner Bibee immediately, scoring three runs in the first inning. Carter Jensen doubled, Bobby Witt Jr. singled and later scored after stealing second, while Jac Caglianone and Michael Massey each drove in runs to give the Royals a 3-0 lead.
Cleveland erased all of it one inning later.
Jo Adell reached on an error before Travis Bazzana doubled, setting up Nathaniel Lowe’s sacrifice fly. Patrick Bailey then tied the game with a two-run homer, and Brayan Rocchio followed with a double before Steven Kwan tripled him home to put Cleveland ahead 4-3.
Chase DeLauter added another run in the third with his 16th home run of the season, and Bazzana helped create another insurance run in the sixth when he tripled and scored on Lowe’s second sacrifice fly.
Bibee settled down after the difficult opening inning. The right-hander kept Kansas City scoreless over his final five frames, allowing Cleveland to build a 6-3 advantage before leaving after six innings.
Rocchio made it 7-3 with a solo home run in the seventh, but Kansas City made things uncomfortable in the eighth. Witt doubled and scored on Caglianone’s second RBI double of the night before Vinnie Pasquantino singled home another run, trimming Cleveland’s lead to 7-5. Cade Smith entered with one out and stopped the rally before the Royals could get any closer.
Then the Guardians removed all doubt.
Bailey opened the ninth with his second home run of the game, and Rocchio followed immediately with his second, giving Cleveland back-to-back homers and a 9-5 lead. Lowe later added a two-run single with the bases loaded to turn what had briefly become a tense game into an 11-5 advantage.
Bailey and Rocchio each homered twice, while Lowe drove in four runs. Bazzana collected three hits, including a double and a triple, as Cleveland’s offense answered an early deficit with its biggest moments coming when the division was hanging in the balance.
Slade Cecconi worked a clean ninth, and when Carter Jensen’s fly ball settled into Steven Kwan’s glove for the final out, the Guardians had taken care of their half of the equation.
The rest came from Chicago.
Cleveland is the American League Central champion for the third straight season and will bypass the Wild Card Series before beginning play in the American League Division Series.
What’s Next
The Guardians finish the regular season Sunday against Kansas City at Kauffman Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 3:10 p.m. ET.
