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ST. LOUIS — The Cleveland Guardians clinched their second American League Central championship in three years Saturday when the second-place Kansas City Royals lost 9-0 to the San Francisco Giants.
José Ramírez and the Guardians had already secured a postseason berth, locking up at least an AL wild-card spot Thursday with a 3-2 win over Minnesota at home.
Cleveland entered Saturday needing a win at St. Louis or a Kansas City defeat to wrap up the division title. Even before the Guardians got deep into their night game against the Cardinals, the Royals lost at home in a late-afternoon start.
It is Cleveland’s 12th division crown, all coming in the AL Central since 1995.
Cleveland is in a nip-and-tuck race with the AL East-leading New York Yankees for the top seed in the American League playoffs. But the Guardians are close to nailing down at least the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye.