First, the Guardians celebrated with each other as they mobbed Andres Gimenez in the outfield, and then they celebrated with the fans fortunate enough to have seats on the third-base side of the dugout of Progressive Field. Gimenez’s single in the bottom of the 10th inning Sept. 19 drove in Jose Ramirez to break a 2-2 tie with the Minnesota Twins and clinch at least a wild-card playoff spot. The magic number to beat out the Royals for the Central Division title is three games. Had they lost, the Guardians could have clinched over the weekend with three games in St. Louis, but that would have spoiled the party. The Guardians have the best home record (48-28) in the American League, and that made clinching at Progressive Field a priority. Celebration time in the #Guardians clubhouse! pic.twitter.com/i82sMdJ39T — Jeff Schudel (@jsproinsider) September 19, 2024 “It had to be today,” Gimenez said outside the champagne-soaked clubhouse. “It had to be today. We had a meeting this morning. It had to be today in front of our crowd, the people who have cheered us through the year. We celebrate with them and the staff and the club. That’s really special.” Victory No. 89 on the season typified the way the Guardians have won all season. Kyle Manzardo, an unlikely hero, homered in the bottom of the first inning to give the Guardians a 1-0 lead. Starting pitcher Joey Cantillo, another unlikely hero, pitched well through 4 1/3 innings, allowing two hits on three hits. The bullpen was superb — as usual. Nick Sandlin, Tim Herrin, Andrew Walters, Hunter Gaddis, Emmanuel Clase and Eli Morgan combined to pitch 5 2/3 innings without allowing a hit. Andres Gimenez, whose single in the 10th drove in Jose Ramirez with the playoffs clinching run, said clinching in front of the hometown fans made the day special. #Guardians pic.twitter.com/qgDcJwpkM5 — Jeff Schudel (@jsproinsider) September 19, 2024 The Guardians trailed in each of the last three games of the four-game Minnesota series and rallied to win each time — the last two in the 10th inning. They have an MLB-most 42 come-from-behind victories. “We buy into playing nine innings or even 10 innings or more for a reason,” said veteran catcher Austin Hedges, the undisputed clubhouse leader for the Guardians. “It sounds cliche, but in spring training (I knew it could be a special season). The energy, what the guys decided to buy into in spring, was different than teams I’ve been on in the past. “It was a decision to treat every day exactly the same. That means you’re going to work on Day One of the season and you’re going to do A, B and C to get ready. In Game 158, you’re going to do the same thing. In October, you’re going to do the same thing. The leadership up top, starting with Stephen Vogt, held us accountable to that.” A wrestling heavyweight belt is part of the clubhouse decor. With champagne and beer flying all around him and teammates shouting, Hedges’ voice rose above all the others as he made the belt presentation: “This belt belongs to only one person in this room!” Hedges shouted. “The new, heavyweight champion of the world! Stephen Vogt!” Players cheered louder than before and the champagne showers reached a new level. Vogt, in his first year as manager after taking over from Terry Francona, has his team in the playoffs in his first year working from the top step of the dugout. Francona did the same in his first year as manager, taking a team that was 68-94 in 2012 and turning it into a wild-card playoff team at 92-70 in 2013. The 2023 Guardians were 76-86. “This is really special,” Vogt said. “The goal is to get in. And from here, we keep pushing. If you get in, you have a chance. “It truly is believing you can do it. If you come to spring training and you’re not expecting to win the World Series, don’t come. Right on that first road trip, we saw something special that this team might be able to get it done. Now we have an opportunity.” The Guardians were 7-2 on the trip to Oakland Seattle and Minnesota to open the season. They have been in first place in the AL Central since April 14 when they beat the Yankees, 8-7, in 10 innings at Progressive Field, There is nothing fluky about what they have done on their way to their 89-65 record. They and the Yankees (89-63) are in a dogfight to finish with the best record in the American League to secure home-field advantage in the AL playoffs. This is the 17th time the Indians/Guardians have been in the playoffs and the 15th time since they won the World Series in 1948. The celebration just for clinching a wild-card spot was wild. The champagne will taste even better to this tight-knit team if it ends the 76-year drought. Manager Stephen Vogt celebrates after the Guardians’ victory over the Twins on Sept. 19, clinching a berth in the postseason. (Nick Cammett – The Associated Press)