The Indians, for the second straight night, end play 1.5 games behind the White Sox and 1.5 games ahead in the Wild Card race. And with the number of games dwindling, that's pretty good news, especially since Boston is now tied with the Yankees for the division lead. If the Indians go into the final series up 2 on both Boston and New York, they're going to the playoffs no matter what happens that final weekend.
Four Indians homered tonight, and Cleveland beat the Royals 11-4. Travis Hafner did not homer in his seventh straight game, but the Indians didn't need any help from him. With Ronnie Belliard's 15th home run, the Indians became just the second team in MLB history to have 9 players with 15+ home runs (this year's Rangers team is the other one). And Kevin Millwood was his usual self, holding the Royals to just one run in six innings.
Scott Sauerbeck hasn't pitched in a while, and looked like it tonight, giving up three runs (two after he had left the ballgame) in the eighth. Sauerbeck is a pitcher who needs work; during his days with the Pirates, he's pitched more than 60 innings in a season four times. He's currently the only left-hander in the bullpen, so it's to the Indians' advantage to get him some work whenever possible.