Current:Home > InvestPlayoff baseball in Cleveland: Guardians clinch playoff spot in 2024 postseason-LoTradeCoin
Playoff baseball in Cleveland: Guardians clinch playoff spot in 2024 postseason
View Date:2024-12-23 22:08:16
CLEVELAND — There will be playoff baseball in Cleveland.
The Guardians clinched a playoff spot with Thursday's win over the Minnesota Twins, improving their record to 89-65. They're the third team to secure a playoff berth, along with the New York Yankees and Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday night.
With one out in the 10th inning and Jose Ramirez on second as the potential winning run, Andres Gimenez hit a single to right field to win it 3-2. It's the Guardians' second consecutive walk-off win and the first time they've won in walk-off fashion in extra innings in back-to-back games since September 2018.
After a one-year hiatus, the Guardians will play into October. They also made the playoffs in 2022 (92 wins) and in 2020 during the season that was shortened due to COVID.
Cleveland Guardians standings in American League; playoff schedule
The next task is for the Guardians to wrap up the American League Central. They now have a 6.5-game lead over the Kansas City Royals, and their magic number is down to three, meaning they could clinch the division as early as Saturday in St. Louis.
All things Guardians: Latest Cleveland Guardians news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.
The final step will be to lock up one of the top two seeds in the American League, which would allow them to skip the initial wild card round. The Yankees (89-63) would own the No. 1 seed if the playoffs started today. The Guardians are currently in line to finish as the No. 2 seed. The Houston Astros (82-70) are trying to catch the Guardians for that No. 2 spot.
As for the wild card race, the Baltimore Orioles are in line for the first spot at 84-68. There is then a razor-thin race for the last two spots between three AL Central teams, the Royals (82-71), the Twins (80-73) and the Detroit Tigers (80-73). The Tigers have recently been the hottest team in baseball.
If the Guardians do secure one of the two top seeds in the AL, their first playoff game would be slated for Oct. 5 at Progressive Field. If they are the No. 2 seed, they'd play the winner between the No. 3 seed and the No. 6 seed.
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
veryGood! (1813)
Related
- Maine elections chief who drew Trump’s ire narrates House tabulations in livestream
- Libya’s eastern government holds conference on reconstruction of coastal city destroyed by floods
- Air ambulance crash kills 4 crew members in central Mexico
- Israel criticizes South American countries after they cut diplomatic ties and recall ambassadors
- Jerry Jones lashes out at question about sun's glare at AT&T Stadium after Cowboys' loss
- Jurors in serial killings trial views video footage of shootings
- Interest rates on some retail credit cards climb to record 33%. Can they even do that?
- Officer charged in Elijah McClain’s death says he feared for his life after disputed gun grab
- Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan says next year will be his last in office; mum on his plans afterward
- Firefighters battling to contain Southern California wildfire though many homes remain threatened
Ranking
- Jana Duggar Reveals She's Adjusting to City Life Amid Move Away From Farm
- Former Delta co-pilot indicted for threatening to shoot captain during commercial flight, officials say
- Lindsay Lohan Gives Details on That Fetch Mean Girls Reunion
- Texas Rangers win first World Series title with 5-0 win over Diamondbacks in Game 5
- Judith Jamison, a dancer both eloquent and elegant, led Ailey troupe to success over two decades
- 4-year-old Rhode Island boy shot in head on Halloween; arrested dad says it was accident
- Louisiana was open to Cancer Alley concessions. Then EPA dropped its investigation
- Ottawa Senators GM Pierre Dorion is out after team is docked first-round pick
Recommendation
-
Trump has promised to ‘save TikTok’. What happens next is less clear
-
RHOBH's Kyle Richards Reveals Secret About Mauricio Umansky Amid Marriage Troubles
-
'It's time!': Watch Mariah Carey thaw out to kick off Christmas season
-
Libya’s eastern government holds conference on reconstruction of coastal city destroyed by floods
-
Denver district attorney is investigating the leak of voting passwords in Colorado
-
Cher to headline Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade: See all the performers
-
911 call shows man suspected in plan to attack Colorado amusement park was found dead near a ride
-
Thanksgiving pizza? Turkey, gravy, green beans are toppings on this new DiGiorno pie