Andres Gimenez walks off Twins, Guardians secure playoff berth

The 2024 Cleveland Guardians are playoff-bound. These were the words most were expecting to hear entering play on Thursday, with a win over the Minnesota Twins standing between them and a spot in the 2024 MLB Postseason.

It took the Guardians a little longer than the standard 9 innings for their spot in the postseason to be punched, but some heroics from Andres Gimenez in the bottom of the 10th got things done.

This game could have very easily gone the other way, considering Minnesota had the bases loaded in the top of the inning with just one out. Eli Morgan was able to work out of the jam to set things up for Gimenez in the bottom of the inning.

Despite the final score having a differential of only one, this is a game that Cleveland probably should have run away with. The Guardians outhit the Twins 11-3, which more often than not, leads to a larger gap in runs scored. Even though the Guardians needed the extra inning to secure the win, nobody is complaining about the final result.

It was only a matter of time before Cleveland was going to secure a playoff berth, as they have seen their magic number to do so dwindle in the last few days. Getting to this point may come as a surprise to some, considering how many were ready to write them off very early on in the season. A revolving cast of characters in their starting rotation due to injuries and poor performance did not help matters, but somehow, this team was able to persevere with adversity waiting around every corner. The 2024 Cleveland Guardians may have been counted out before the season began, but as they have shown time-after-time this season, do not overlook this club as they can hang with and even defeat any team in baseball.

Up next? The Guardians can set their eyes on winning the American League Central and possibly even securing a first-round bye. Both options are on the table, with the former being pretty much a given and the latter being very possible. This team needs to continue pushing and not let off the gas as the season winds down.