KANSAS CITY — The Cleveland Guardians are champions again. Patrick Bailey and Brayan Rocchio each hit two home runs and the Guardians beat the Kansas City Royals 11-5 on Saturday, clinching the American League Central Division title before their regular season finale.
Cleveland erased an early 3-0 deficit, pounding out 14 hits — nine for extra bases. Rocchio went 3-for-4 with three runs and three RBIs, including a double alongside his two homers. Bailey drove in three in his first career two-homer game. Chase DeLauter added a solo shot, Travis Bazzana went 3-for-4 with a double and a triple, and Nathaniel Lowe chipped in four RBIs, including a two-run single in the ninth. Starter Tanner Bibee settled after a shaky first inning, allowing three runs on seven hits over six innings with six strikeouts.
Cleveland’s magic number was down to one at the first pitch, and minutes after the final out, the second-place Chicago White Sox lost to Colorado — sealing the Guardians’ third consecutive division crown and their 14th overall. At 85-76, Cleveland locks up the No. 2 seed in the American League playoffs, earns a first-round bye, and will open the AL Division Series at home later this week. The regular season wraps up Sunday afternoon in Kansas City.