Cleveland Guardians Clinch AL Central For Fourth Time in Seven Years

Cleveland's baseball team won its fourth division title in seven years Sunday, winning the American League Central for the first time as the 'Guardians', thanks to a Chicago White Sox 4-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers. The Guardians swept the Texas Rangers and have now won seven straight, as well as 16 of their last 18.

Cleveland's baseball team is one-for-one, as far as trips to the postseason go under their new team name, 'the Guardians.'

Cleveland announced that it would be doing away with the 'Indians' name prior to the 2021 Major League Baseball season. In July of 2021, the club announced its new name would be 'the Guardians.' The name change was met with much scrutiny in the city of Cleveland, and while fans will never forget 'the Indians,' the Guardians hope to open up a new chapter of baseball history in the city of Cleveland.

Cleveland's baseball franchise has won two total World Series titles. Its last championship came in 1948.

The Tampa Bay Rays spent a decade losing under the name, 'the Devil Rays,' not posting a single winning season. Then, they ditched the devil and won their first American League East title in 2008, as the newly rebranded 'Rays.'

The Guardians, who clinched their fourth division title in seven years Sunday, are now one-for-one as far as American League Central titles go.

With the Chicago White Sox falling 4-1 to the Detroit Tigers earlier in the afternoon, the Guardians punched their ticket to the postseason. It is their fifth postseason appearance in seven years.

Shortly after the White Sox lost, the Guardians would complete a sweep of the Rangers in Texas with a 10-4 win, the cherry on top of a fantastic stretch of baseball that club is playing. The Guardians, 86-67, have now won seven straight and 16 of their last 18.

The Guardians will own the no. 3 seed in the American League playoffs and will host a three-game Wild Card Series against the third and final American League wild card team, in Cleveland, as part of Major League Baseball's new playoff format.

The Toronto Blue Jays currently own the American League's top AL wild card spot, with the Seattle Mariners and Tampa Bay Rays tied for the second spot.

The Mariners beat the Guardians six out of seven times in 2022, so a Rays' matchup may be more favorable for Cleveland.