Guardians clinch their 3rd straight AL Central crown with an 11-5 win over the Royals

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Once again, the Cleveland Guardians are division champs.

Patrick Bailey and Brayan Rocchio each hit two of Cleveland's five home runs as the Guardians beat the Kansas City Royals 11-5 on Saturday night to clinch their third straight AL Central title.

Cleveland's victory coupled with Chicago's 9-6 loss to Colorado gave the Guardians (85-76) a two-game lead over the second-place White Sox (83-78) with one game remaining in the regular season.

José Ramírez and the Guardians are assured the No. 2 seed in the American League playoffs and a first-round bye into a best-of-five Division Series. They will have five days off and then home-field advantage against the winner of a best-of-three Wild Card Series between the No. 6 seed White Sox and either Houston or Texas — whichever one wins the AL West on Sunday.

It is Cleveland's seventh division crown in the past 11 seasons.

Kansas City jumped on Tanner Bibee for three first-inning runs, highlighted by doubles from Carter Jensen and Jac Caglianone. But then Bibee shut out Kansas City as Cleveland quickly mounted a comeback.

A fielding error by Bobby Witt Jr. at shortstop opened the Guardians’ four-run second inning. Bailey hooked a two-run homer off the right-field foul pole, and Cleveland grabbed a 4-3 lead when Steven Kwan’s slicing liner eluded diving left fielder Isaac Collins for an RBI triple — one of four extra-base hits in the inning.

After missing four games with a right wrist sprain, Chase DeLauter lined Michael Wacha’s second pitch of the third into the right-field seats for his 16th home run.

Travis Bazzana tripled and scored on Nathaniel Lowe’s sacrifice fly in the sixth, and Rocchio hit his 14th homer in the seventh. Bailey and Rocchio connected for back-to-back homers to highlight a four-run ninth.

Nine of the Guardians’ 14 hits went for extra bases.

Bibee (7-15) allowed three runs and seven hits in six innings, striking out six. Cleveland has won nine of 10 games and five straight series.

Wacha (9-10) worked 6 1/3 innings, permitting six runs — two earned — and six hits.

The last-place Royals (68-93) have dropped 11 of 13 and 18 of 24. Kansas City lost eight straight series to finish the season, its longest such skid since losing eight in a row from April 10 to May 7, 2023.

The Guardians were undecided on the mound for their regular-season finale Sunday against LHP Daniel Lynch (6-6, 4.13 ERA) and the Royals.

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Cleveland Guardians catcher Patrick Bailey (16) and starting pitcher Tanner Bibee (28) miss catching a foul ball hit by Kansas City Royals' Carter Jensen during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Kansas City Royals left fielder Isaac Collins can't make the catch of a triple hit by Cleveland Guardians' Steven Kwan during the second inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Cleveland Guardians' Nathaniel Lowe watches his sacrifice fly to score a run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Cleveland Guardians' Travis Bazzana celebrates in the dugout after scoring on a sacrifice fly hit by Nathaniel Lowe during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Cleveland Guardians' Brayan Rocchio, right, celebrates with Steven Kwan (38) after hitting a solo home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Cleveland Guardians' Brayan Rocchio celebrates as he runs the bases after hitting a solo home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — New Florida coach Jon Sumrall called his program a sleeping giant when he took over 10 months ago and has said repeatedly since that it's time to “wake the beast."

Well, the Gators are officially growling.

Jadan Baugh ran for 142 yards and three touchdowns, Duke Clark added 126 yards and a score on the ground, and No. 21 Florida manhandled fourth-ranked Mississippi 52-28 on Saturday to reach 4-0 for the first time since 2019. It tied Florida's most points against a top-five team since beating Florida State 52-20 in the 1996 national championship game.

“It's not asleep, but it ain't fully awake yet. It's being kind of stirred up a little bit," said Sumrall, who became the first coach in Southeastern Conference history to lead his team to 200 or more points in his first four games. “We’re going to get there. It’s coming.

“I didn't come here for us to be average.”

The Gators (4-0, 2-0 SEC), installed as 3 1/2-point favorites, proved Las Vegas oddsmakers right by leading from start to finish. They scored touchdowns on five consecutive drives in the second half to pull away.

The Rebels (3-1, 1-1), meanwhile, insisted that last week’s victory against LSU, the one that spoiled former Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin’s return, was not their “Super Bowl.” But they failed to build off that emotional win.

Florida had a lot to do with it in the Swamp.

“That was an old-fashioned butt-whupping,” Ole Miss coach Pete Golding said.

The Gators jumped on the Rebels early, leading 10-0 before Heisman Trophy front-runner Trinidad Chambliss even threw a pass, and set the pace the rest of the afternoon. Florida was unstoppable running the ball.

Baugh became the third player in school history to top 100 yards rushing in five consecutive games, joining Emmitt Smith (1987, ’88) and Fred Taylor (1997).

“That means everything to me, just having my name up there with those guys," Baugh said. "They did so much when they were here. And just being able to follow their footsteps and excel, that just means so much to me.”

Baugh was elusive between the tackles, and Clark allowed the Rebels no break when he subbed into the game. Florida finished with 302 yards rushing and six TDs on the ground.

“Tackling the guy with the ball is a real thing on defense,” Golding quipped. “That’s kind of important.”

Clark's 45-yard TD run early in the third was the play of the game. He juked cornerback Antonio Kite and former Florida safety Sharif Denson on his way to the end zone.

Chambliss and Ole Miss scored 11 points in a 3-minute stretch spanning the second and third quarters and seemed to have all the momentum although Florida still led 17-14. But London Montgomery returned the ensuing kickoff 41 yards to set up Clark’s scamper.

Ole Miss seemed out of sorts from the start. Trailing 7-0, Chambliss handed off four consecutive times to backup running back JT Lindsey. Lindsey failed to move the chains on a fourth-and-1 play, giving the Gators great field position.

Chambliss injured his left thigh on the team’s second series. He returned and used the exercise bike between drives. He ended up throwing for 298 yards, with a touchdown and an interception late. He also ran seven times for 44 yards and two scores.

“We have more grit and resilience than anybody in the country, and I feel nobody can mess with us,” Baugh said.

Mississippi: The Rebels missed star running back Kewan Lacy. He ran for 224 yards and three touchdowns against Florida last year in Oxford but missed this game with a shoulder injury. Lindsey started in his place and finished with 31 yards on 11 carries.

Florida: The Gators had dropped 12 in a row against top-five teams. They became the first Florida team since 2001 to score at least 40 points in its first four games.

Mississippi gets a week off before playing at Vanderbilt on Oct. 10.

Florida plays at No. 19 Missouri next Saturday.

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Florida running back Jadan Baugh (13) jumps in celebration after rushing for a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Mississippi, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, in Gainesville, Fla. (AP Photo/Noah Lantor)