KANSAS CITY -- It doesn’t have to be pretty, right? At this point in the season, all that matters is winning -- no matter what that looks like.
Good thing, too. Friday night got a bit ugly at times for the Guardians, who found a few moments to get your stress levels rising. But they ultimately walked out of Kauffman Stadium one step closer to securing their third straight American League Central division title.
The Guardians beat the Royals, 12-9, in the opener of their final series of the regular season. Cleveland blew three leads and had to lean upon a five-run rally in the top of the ninth inning, when it drew six walks, three of which brought in a run.
The Guardians (84-76) punched their ticket to the playoffs on Thursday. With two games remaining in the regular season, they maintain a one-game lead on the White Sox (83-75) for first place in the AL Central, after Chicago beat the Rockies earlier on Friday night.
It means the Guardians could clinch the division title as soon as Saturday, with a win over the Royals and a loss by the White Sox.
Less than 24 hours after they celebrated clinching a postseason berth in Boston, the Guardians arrived in Kansas City on Friday with a simple mindset. Manager Stephen Vogt’s club is thrilled to have secured a spot in the big dance, but there’s a lot left to accomplish this weekend.
“We're not satisfied. Are we pumped? Absolutely,” Vogt said. “We are really excited that we're going to be playing in the postseason, but that's not enough. We want to win this division, and these guys are going to be ready to go tonight.”
Ultimately, Friday was a roller-coaster ride. The Guardians were hopeful staff anchor Gavin Williams would guide them to a win, but he lasted just 3 1/3 innings while allowing four runs on five hits and four walks on 74 pitches.
The Guardians led 3-1 in the second when Williams surrendered a game-tying two-run homer to Royals catcher Carter Jensen. Cleveland later led 4-3 and 7-5, but Kansas City clawed back each time. The Royals erased the latter deficit with a game-tying two-run homer off Hunter Gaddis with two outs in the eighth inning.
No matter. Cleveland drew six walks in the top of the ninth, including four off right-hander Nate Pearson. A two-out free pass taken by José Ramírez gave Cleveland an 8-7 lead, and Chase DeLauter and Petey Halpin followed with back-to-back walks off Nolan Hoffman.