CLEVELAND -- CJ Kayfus was hit by a pitch from Robert Garcia with the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth inning, scoring Petey Halpin to clinch a playoff berth for the Cleveland Guardians with a 3-2 win over the Texas Rangers on Saturday night.
Cleveland (87-74) is guaranteed at least an American League wild card and remains tied with Detroit atop the AL Central going into the final day of the regular season. The Guardians are the first team in the past 100 seasons to clinch a playoff spot via a walk-off hit by pitch, according to ESPN Research.
The Guardians own the head-to-head tiebreaker, so a victory Sunday over Texas or a Tigers loss at Boston would give Cleveland its second consecutive division title after a stirring comeback this season.
The fourth-place Guardians