Guardians clinch playoff spot on walk-off hit-by-pitch after Rangers' late error

The Cleveland Guardians clinched a postseason berth in dramatic fashion, walking off the Texas Rangers 3-2 after a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch in the bottom of the ninth at Progressive Field. With the game tied 2-2, Rangers reliever Robert Garcia walked Johnathan Rodriguez to load the bases for CJ Kayfus. After taking a first-pitch strike, Garcia threw a pitch high and inside that struck Kayfus on the arm, and the baserunner from third scored as Cleveland celebrated the dramatic finish.

The victory guarantees the Guardians a spot in the MLB postseason, their third appearance in four seasons. Cleveland grabbed the clinching win at a pivotal moment, eliminating the Houston Astros from playoff contention and leaving the American League field largely set, even though division titles remain undecided.

Fans at Progressive Field erupted as the Guardians secured a postseason berth with one game left in the regular season. It was a night of jubilation for Cleveland, which has surged late in the year after a season-long push and now finds itself in control of its fate in the AL Central race.

With this win, Cleveland filled the final playoff slot in the American League and sent the Rangers' postseason hopes home for the season. The Astros, who have been a staple of AL postseason baseball for years, will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2016, marking a rare break in their recent dominance. The Guardians are now positioned to challenge for the AL Central crown, entering the final stretch of the schedule in a competitive race that had looked uncertain not long ago.

The Guardians have been one of the most resurgent stories of 2025, earning three postseason trips in four seasons and establishing themselves as a perennial contender in the American League. Cleveland can clinch the division with a win in the remaining games or a loss by the Detroit Tigers to the Boston Red Sox, depending on how the Tigers fare as their season winds down. Conversely, Detroit would still have a path to the title if Cleveland loses and Detroit wins, though Cleveland’s late-season form has put them squarely in the driver’s seat.

The Rangers, meanwhile, saw their season hinge on a late, game-changing moment that slipped away in heartbreaking fashion. The loss not only ended their own postseason bid but also reshaped the late-season landscape in the American League, depriving a rival of a crucial win that could have altered the playoff picture more broadly. Texas will look to regroup in the offseason after a year that featured strong late surges but ultimately fell short of the postseason.