Despite losing Saturday, the Cleveland Guardians are the AL Central Division champs. They nearly celebrated that title by erasing a five-run deficit.

ST. LOUIS — Lars Nootbaar scored the go-ahead run from second base on a wild pitch and Andre Pallante allowed one hit in seven innings as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Cleveland Guardians 2-1 on Sunday. Myles Straw's single in the sixth inning was the only hit Pallante (8-8) allowed in seven innings. Pallante walked two and struck out three.

The Cleveland Guardians have clinched their second AL Central championship in three years. They wrapped it up when the second-place Kansas City Royals lost 9-0 to the San Francisco Giants.