CLEVELAND (AP) — Brandon Guyer was playing for a last-place team until a trade Aug. 1.
On Tuesday night, his first career game-ending hit moved his Cleveland Indians closer to their first AL Central title in nearly a decade.
Guyer singled in a run with two outs in the ninth inning, lifting the Indians over the Kansas City Royals 2-1 to reduce Cleveland’s magic number for the division to six.
Cleveland leads Detroit by seven games and hasn’t won the Central since 2007.
Guyer was acquired from the struggling Tampa Bay Rays at the trade deadline, and now he’s contributing to a team on the brink of the postseason.
Guyer’s hit off Joakim Soria landed just fair in the right-field corner and scored Coco Crisp. Guyer was the third pinch-hitter of the inning used by manager Terry Francona.
Brian Flynn (1-2) walked Jose Ramirez to start the ninth, then fumbled a bunt by Crisp down the first-base line.