With their division-clinching win yesterday in Arlington, the Guardians can return a little more relaxed for the last week-plus of the season. While they will carry their seven-game winning streak into tomorrow’s series against the Rays, they can rest assured they will still be playing in October even if it snaps.
The important question now is ... who will they face when the games count again? There are some likely scenarios, some unlikely scenarios, and some scenarios that would signal the beginning of The End. Before getting into all of those, it’s a good time to refresh how the playoffs actually work this year.