Astronauts eliminated; Guardians advance to playoffs with a walk-off hit by pitch, set to compete with Tigers for division lead tomorrow.

In the penultimate regular season game, the Cleveland Guardians clinched the American League’s sixth playoff spot in a thrilling 3-2 victory over the Rangers thanks to a "walk-off hit by pitch," joyfully advancing to the postseason. With their 87th win, they tied the Detroit Tigers in the same division, so the AL Central title will be determined in the last game. Since the Guardians hold the tiebreaker over the Tigers, if they finish with the same number of wins, the Guardians will be crowned division champions.

With this, the six American League playoff teams are finalized: Mariners, Blue Jays, Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers, and Guardians. Except for the Seattle Mariners, who have secured the West Division title and hold the second seed, the seeding for the other teams will be decided on the final day of the regular season. The top two seeds advance directly to the Division Series without playing in the Wild Card round. Whoever tops the Central Division between the Tigers and Guardians will claim the third seed.

When the Guardians confirmed their playoff spot, the Astros-Angels game was still ongoing, but the Houston Astros, with 85 wins, had already been eliminated, ending their franchise-best streak of eight consecutive playoff appearances. Since their founding in 1962, the past decade has been the Astros’ most successful period, winning World Series titles in 2017 and 2022, claiming the AL West crown last season, but this year falling short against the resurgent Seattle Mariners.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, with two Guardians on base and the score tied 2-2, Rangers pitcher Robert Garcia intentionally walked a batter to load the bases, focusing on facing C.J. Kayfus. On the second pitch, Garcia lost control and hit Kayfus with the ball, ending the game. Kayfus pumped his fist in excitement, the crowd erupted in cheers, while Garcia showed visible frustration, creating a rare "walk-off hit by pitch" moment.

According to Elias Sports Bureau, the official keeper of MLB historical data, this is the first time since the beginning of the "live ball era" in 1920 that a team has advanced to the playoffs via a "walk-off hit by pitch."

Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan revealed after the game that pitcher Slade Cecconi had predicted that Garcia might throw a hit by pitch. That very pitch allowed the Guardians to eliminate the Houston Astros and claim the last American League playoff spot. If they win just one more game tomorrow or if the Tigers lose, the Guardians will be crowned division champions.

Notably, the Guardians were once trailing their division by as many as 15.5 games this season. The biggest comeback to win a division in the MLB divisional era is the 1978 New York Yankees, who overcame a 14-game deficit; before divisions existed, the record was held by the 1914 Boston Braves, who rallied from 15 games behind to win the league championship.