KANSAS CITY — The Cleveland Guardians beat the Kansas City Royals 11-5 at Kauffman Stadium on Saturday and moved to the brink of an AL Central title. Entering Saturday needing a win and a White Sox loss to clinch, Cleveland did its part and was awaiting the outcome of Saturday night's Rockies-White Sox game to potentially begin its celebration.
Cleveland fell into an early hole after starter Tanner Bibee allowed three runs in the first inning. The deficit was short-lived. Patrick Bailey tied it with a two-run homer off the right-field foul pole in the second and Steven Kwan followed with a go-ahead triple for a 4-3 lead. Bailey added an insurance homer in the ninth for his first career multihomer game, while Chase DeLauter hit a third-inning solo homer, Brayan Rocchio went deep in both the seventh and ninth innings, and Travis Bazzana finished a homer shy of the cycle. Bibee settled in to deliver a quality start, allowing three runs on seven hits and one walk over six innings.
The surge to the top of the division followed a midseason swoon before the All-Star break while Cleveland tried to tread water without José Ramírez after he underwent left hamate surgery. After a fourth straight loss on July 8 dropped the Guardians to one game over .500, catcher Austin Hedges offered perspective on the test. “There is no glory without sucking and suffering and overcoming things,” Hedges said that night. “We're being tested right now while maintaining being right where we want to be, which is near the top of the division with a chance to make the playoffs, trying to win a World Series.”
Cleveland punched its playoff ticket on Thursday and entered the weekend series in Kansas City still needing to secure the division. Winning the AL Central would also secure a first-round bye in the postseason and home-field advantage in the AL Division Series against the White Sox or the winner of the AL West — either the Astros or Rangers.