{
  "id": 10134570,
  "title": "The Guardians were 'on fumes' to close out the AL Central, and now they get a bye to recover",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/27/the-guardians-were-on-fumes-to-close-out-the-al-central-and-now-they",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-27T04:24:08.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/guardians-were-fumes-close-al-042408283.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In mid-August, the Cleveland Guardians found themselves six games behind the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central race. Undeterred, the Guardians fought hard to close the gap, ultimately securing their third consecutive division title with an 11-5 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday night. The team's manager, Stephen Vogt, remarked that the squad was \"on fumes\" before clinching the title. Cleveland has won seven AL Central championships in the past 11 seasons and knows how to celebrate, which they did after the game by dousing each other with bubbly and sliding on the tarp-covered Kauffman Stadium field. The Guardians clinched a playoff spot on Thursday, earning their spot eight times since 2016. Vogt, the eighth manager to guide a team to the postseason in each of their first three seasons, attributed the team's success to their depth and resilience, overcoming injuries to key players and winning 25 of their final 36 games. The team's performance after the All-Star break was particularly impressive, with Vogt stating that \"the majority of teams could have folded.\" As Cleveland prepares for the postseason, pitcher Tanner Bibee sees the playoffs as a reset, emphasizing that only wins matter when October arrives.",
  "summary": "Six games back of the AL Central-leading Chicago White Sox in mid-August, the Cleveland Guardians threw everything they had at chasing down their division foes. Lucky them, the AL Central crown comes with a little break before their postseason begins. “We’ll get some rest, this team was on fumes,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said after his club wrapped up its third straight division title by…",
  "key_points": [
    "Cleveland Guardians close AL Central gap with 11-5 win over Royals",
    "Manager Stephen Vogt says team was \"on fumes\" before title",
    "Guardians earn playoff spot for eighth time since 2016"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The Guardians' division title win, secured when they were on fumes, sets them up for a bye to recover before the postseason, where only wins will matter.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Missouri Southern drops close game to the Central Missouri Mules",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/27/missouri-southern-drops-close-game-to-the-central-missouri-mules",
        "published": "2026-09-27T01:44:33.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}