The Cleveland Guardians wrapped up their 2025 regular season in the most memorable way possible: a walk-off home run from Brayan Rocchio. 

The Cleveland Guardians punched their ticket to the postseason on Saturday night. They clinched the franchise’s 15th American League Central division title in the middle of Sunday's game, with the Detroit Tigers losing to the Boston Red Sox on Sunday afternoon.

By the time the eighth inning rolled around during Cleveland’s matchup against the Texas Rangers, the Guardians had nothing left to play for, but it certainly didn’t look that way with how the team continued to play on the field.

Technically, when Cleveland clinched the division, they were losing, 5-3, but as this Guardians team has done all season, they battled back, even with their postseason fate set.

After a rally by Cleveland in the bottom of the eighth inning tied the two teams up at five runs apiece, the game ended up going into extra innings. 

When Rowdy Tellez blasted a three-run home run in the top of the 10th, it felt like it unofficially put a wrap on Cleveland’s regular-season run. 

However, Brayan Rocchio has something to say about that.

After Bo Naylor drove in George Valera to lead off the inning, Petey Halpin walked, which set up one of the biggest moments in Rocchio’s career.

Cleveland’s second baseman unloaded on a ball that was barely fair; it hit the foul pole about three-fourths of the way up. 

As the ping echoed throughout Progressive Field, it was quickly drowned out by a thunderous ovation and cheering from the fans, and Cleveland’s dugout emptied as players mobbed Rocchio on the field.

There’s been a lot of talk about momentum over the last few weeks in Cleveland, as the Guardians finished out September as one of the hottest teams in baseball.

Sure, if the Guardians had lost this game, they would still have been in the playoffs and likely hosting a playoff series. 

Now, Cleveland is heading into the postseason fresh off one of the most emotional victories of the season and all the confidence in the world that this lineup is capable of coming up with a big hit when the team needs it the most. 

As Tom Hamilton always says, “Cleveland, you will have an October to remember.” 

This year, those memories started in September.