Guardians win AL Central despite sloppy loss to Cardinals, 6-5

ST. LOUIS - The Guardians went into Saturday night's game in a good situation.

If they beat the Cardinals, they clinched the AL Central. If they lost to the Cardinals, but Kansas City, their nearest rival in the division, lost to the Giants, the division would still belong to them.

Shortly after the Guardians game started, the Giants finished beating the Royals, 9-0. The AL Central belonged to Guards whether they lost or not.

Perhaps that distracted the Guardians. Perhaps they couldn't wait to spray champagne and beer for the second time in three days. Whatever the reason, they allowed four unearned runs in the seventh inning before losing to the Cardinals, 6-5.

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The Gaurdians fell behind, 6-1, in the seventh. Ivan Herrera had the big hit, a three-run homer off Nick Sandlin, but the inning should have been over long before Sandlin allowed his 12th homer of the season.

Michael Siani, with the Guards trailing, 2-1, started the seventh with a single. Maysn Winn sent a chopper to Brayan Rocchio at shortstop. Instead of going to first for the easy out, he threw to second with Siani closing in on Andres Gimenez at the bag.

Rocchio's throw handcuffed Gimenez, who dropped the ball for the error to put runners on first and second. Pinch-hitter Alec Burleson fouled out to Gimenez behind first base. When Siani tried to tag and advance to third, Gimenez threw him out for a double play.

Paul Goldschmidt followed with what should have been the third out on a hard grounder to first baseman Josh Naylor. The ball went through Naylor's legs for an error as Wynn scored. Sandlin hit Nolan Arenado before Herrera homered to left.

The Guardians rallied for four runs in the eighth. Jose Ramirez, in search of a 40-40 season, hit his 37th homer, a three-run shot to left off Jo Jo Romero to make it a 6-4 game. After Lane Thomas drew a one-out walk, Gimenez doubled him home with a liner into the right field corner to make it a one-run game.

Ramirez, with two homers in as many games, has 112 RBI.

The G's had two chances to get Gimenez home with the tying run, but pinch-hitter Myles Straw popped out and Bo Naylor struck out.

St. Louis closer Ryan Heisley retired the Guardians in order for his 46th save. He tied Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase for the big-league lead in saves.

Left-hander Matthew Boyd (2-2, 2.72) opened the game with three scoreless innings for the Guards in his eighth start of the season. He pitched out of a first and third jam in the the third, but ran into trouble in the fourth.

Herrera started the inning with a walk. Brendan Donovan struck out, but Jordan Walker, one of seventh right-handed hitters in the Cardinals' lineup, homered into the left field seats for a 2-0 lead.

As he did with Friday's starter Ben Lively, manager Stephen Vogt lifted Boyd after five innings. He struck out six and walked three on 88 pitches.

Bo Naylor cut the Cardinal lead in half at 2-1 with a homer in the fifth. It was his 13th of the season and the 25th Miles Mikolas (9-11, 5.35) has allowed this year. But that was the only damage the Guardians could do against Mikolas, who entered the game having allowed 183 hits in 160 2/3 innings.

In six innings, Mikolas struck out four, didn't walk a batter and allowed four hits.

The Guardians missed a chance in the seventh against Andrew Kittredge. Gimenez walked with one out and went to third on Will Brennan's pinch-hit single to right. After Brennan stole second, however, Bo Nayor popped out to short and Rocchio grounded out weakly to first.