ST. LOUIS — Forget the final score. For the Cleveland Guardians, it's time to celebrate again.
Cleveland clinched its second AL Central championship in three years on Saturday when the second-place Kansas City Royals lost at home, another impressive accomplishment for rookie manager Stephen Vogt.
So, despite a 6-5 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals hours later, the Guardians brought out the bubbles and booze for another locker room party.
“I keep saying it's all about the players,” said Vogt, who puffed on a cigar in victory. “Of course, as a coach, you're the one who brings everyone together and keeps the focus in the right direction, but the players are the ones who call the shots. That's how they are.”
“It took us a long time to get to know them, watch our team, see how we come together and watch them closely. It's just about using their skills and what they do really well to put them in positions to succeed. I'm very proud of them because I love those guys.”
Cleveland clinched the division title when Kansas City lost 9-0 to San Francisco. Jose Ramirez and the Guardians had already clinched a playoff spot and celebrated at home Thursday after securing at least an American League wild-card spot with a 3-2 win over Minnesota.
“Our goal is always to try to find ways to get to days like today because we want to win a World Series,” Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said. “The only way to win the World Series is to pop the champagne corks to get there. We've made some tough decisions along the way, but all of those decisions are aligned with us trying to find a way to get to the postseason and win.”
It is the franchise's fifth division crown since 2016. Cleveland returns to the playoffs for the first time since losing the 2022 American League Division Series to the New York Yankees in five games.
“I remember 2022 like it was yesterday,” Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan said. “I thought I was going to be prepared for what it was, but a packed stadium at Progressive is just different. I'm really excited for what's to come.”
Kansas City rallied from a 10-game deficit on June 25 to move into a tie with the Guardians atop the division with a 6-1 win at Cleveland on Aug. 27. But the Guardians rallied for a 7-5 victory the next day to avoid a four-game sweep.
That started a seven-game losing streak for the Royals, and the Guardians fell apart in September.
“You can understand the dynamics going into the game, but we have no choice but to understand that we have to win every day,” Kwan said of what he learned on Aug. 27. “162 games, you know? It's going to be a lot of games, a lot of ups and downs.”
It is Cleveland's 12th division crown, all of them in the American League Central since 1995.
“The resilience that the group has shown throughout the year, how much they care about each other, the way they played until the last out,” Antonetti said of what stood out about this team compared to others since he joined the Cleveland organization in 1999.
“They're surrounded by a group of guys. They love being together. They love supporting each other. They're all here trying to find a way to help us win a baseball game, and that's all they care about. That's all they've cared about since Day 1.”
Cleveland is in a tight race with the AL East-leading Yankees for the top seed in the AL playoffs. But the Guardians are in line to secure at least the second seed and a bye to the first round.
Cleveland went 76-86 last year in Terry Francona's final season as manager. Vogt, a former All-Star catcher, was hired in November despite having no managerial experience.
It sure seems like a smart move right now.
“From day one, he's been dedicated to learning,” Antonetti said. “Obviously, he came into the job with a great set of skills, personal attributes and experiences, but he's been striving to learn and improve every day. He started off really well and has only continued to improve from there.”
Vogt is the fifth Cleveland manager to win at least 90 games in his first full season in charge, joining Francona in 2013, Charlie Manuel in 2000, Al Lopez in 1951 and Tris Speaker in 1920.
Under the 39-year-old Vogt, Cleveland got off to a surprising start. It had a nine-game lead in the AL Central and a 51-26 record after beating Baltimore 10-8 on June 25.
