Just call them champions, young Guardians win AL Central

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Cleveland Guardians players celebrate winning the American League Central in the locker room after defeating the Texas Rangers in a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)

ARLINGTON, Texas ā€“ A sturdy pair of goggles was mandatory attire Sunday in Cleveland's clubhouse, where impromptu showers of Champagne and beer broke out inside a thick haze of cigar smoke.

The Guardians, baseball's youngest team, finished an unexpected run to the top of the AL Central.

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Rookie Steven Kwan hit a grand slam and drove in a season-high five runs as the Guardians clinched a division championship no one thought possible six months ago with a 10-4 win over the Texas Rangers.

When catcher Luke Maile squeezed Josh Smithā€™s foul pop for the final out, the Guardians began celebrating a title that actually became official 15 minutes earlier following second-place Chicago's loss to the Detroit Tigers.

Tied for first on Sept. 4, the Guardians have won seven straight and ripped off 18 wins in 21 games to open a 10-game lead and run away with the division.

ā€œThis teamā€™s good. Weā€™re not just young. Weā€™re pretty good," said starter Cal Quantrill, the club leader with 14 wins. "I donā€™t think anybodyā€™s excited to face us right now. Weā€™re playing our best baseball. Weā€™re playing baseball the right way.ā€

This is Clevelandā€™s 11th Central title since the divisionā€™s inception in 1994 and its fourth in 10 years under manager Terry Francona, who battled health problems the past two seasons but has enjoyed this ride with a team that may have surprised early on but is now being viewed as a legitimate World Series threat.

ā€œFor what our guys did, and when youā€™re doing it with people that you absolutely care about and love and respect, it means a lot,ā€ Francona said before his statement was interrupted by a bone-chilling dousing.

ā€œIā€™m amazed by these guys,ā€ said Chris Antonetti, the teamā€™s president of baseball operations. ā€œThey came together and played the game the right way.ā€

This season wasnā€™t supposed to happen.

After dropping Indians as their nickname following the 2021 season, a move that rankled a sizable portion of Clevelandā€™s fan base, the Guardians did little to upgrade their roster in free agency as the front office decided 2022 would be devoted to seeing what it had.

As it turned out, Clevelandā€™s kids were more than all right.

Maybe no one more so than Kwan, a 25-year-old with a game way beyond his years. He made the roster in spring training and has been the Guardiansā€™ pesky leadoff hitter from opening day, working pitchers into deep counts before slapping hits and becoming an annoyance on the base paths.

It was fitting that it was Kwan who led the way to Sunday's clinch.

ā€œHelp any team I was on whether it had been Triple-A or the majors,ā€ Kwan said of his goals this season. "I think that helped me in college, travel ball, whatever. I know if I focus on helping the team and others, then everything will fall into place.ā€

Kwanā€™s slam in the eighth inning barely cleared the wall and bounced back into play. He wasnā€™t sure it out until signaled by first-base umpire Bruce Dreckman. He said his reaction was ā€œblack out.ā€

With bigger games ahead, Kwan wasn't ready to reflect on what he and his teammates have accomplished.

ā€œI definitely want to keep my head down, keep it rolling.ā€ he said. ā€œMaybe in a superstitious kind of way donā€™t want to take my eyes off anything. Keep it going forward.ā€

The Guardians have defied the odds from the start and became the first team to win a division with at least 16 rookies making their major league debuts.

The season began with low expectations everywhere but inside Cleveland's clubhouse. Maybe is was naivete, but the Guardians believed they could be special and that's exactly what's happened.

ā€œFrom Day One, theyā€™ve come together,ā€ Antonetti said. ā€œYou go around the clubhouse, the tone our veteran players set like JosĆ© RamĆ­rez, Amed Rosario, Shane Bieber, Austin Hedges. ā€˜Titoā€™ (Francona) said just find a way to help the team win.

ā€œThey embraced that mentality.ā€

The Guardians have done it with an offense that puts the ball in play, solid and often spectacular defense and a lights-out bullpen anchored by closer Emmanuel Clase (a big league-best 39 saves).

Cleveland strikes out less than any team in the majors and nobody goes from first to third better.

Amid the clubhouse chaos, Antonetti made a point to credit the 63-year-old Francona, who won two World Series with Boston and may have had his best season after dealing with serious medial issues.

ā€œTo think of what heā€™s overcome personally to get to this point,ā€ Antonetti said. ā€œThis is a special moment for ā€˜Tito.ā€™"

UP NEXT

Guardians: Bieber (12-8, 2.81 ERA) will open a three-game series on Tuesday at home against Tampa Bay in a possible preview of a first-round postseason series. Bieber will face RHP Corey Kluber (10-9, 4.30), a two-time Cy Young winner during nine seasons in Cleveland.

Rangers: Play three games at Seattle beginning Tuesday. Texas hasnā€™t announced a starter for the opener to face LHP Robbie Ray (12-10, 3.60).

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