The Twins, who are trying to hold on to a wild card, only got three hits and fell into a tie with Detroit for the final spot as Cleveland became the second AL team to qualify for the postseason, following the Yankees.

Stephen Vogt navigated the youthful, surprising Guardians to a playoff spot. So Thursday, the Guardians celebrated him.

Prior to Wednesday’s game against Minnesota, Guardians manager Stephen Vogt was asked how hard it is for a young player, especially somebody who is not seeing regular playing time, to come off the bench late in a game and find success as a pinch hitter.

The Guardians recently had three consecutive starts in which the starter threw fewer than 80 pitches. That could be a pattern in October.

Fans like to believe it’s real. They want to think the players on their favorite team care about each other. They want to think winning does matter to the millionaires on the field. It’s easy to be cynical.