Twins claim 1st AL Central crown since 2010

The Minnesota Twins are AL Central champions for the first time in almost a decade.

The Twins secured their first division title since 2010 after the Cleveland Indians lost to the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday. Earlier in the evening, Minnesota beat the Detroit Tigers to reduce its magic number to one.

Minnesota (98-60) needs victories in two of its final four games to claim just the second 100-win season in franchise history. The only other time the Twins reached that mark was in 1965 (102-60).

The Twins have bludgeoned opponents this season with 299 home runs through 158 contests. The club has already set the MLB record for most homers in a campaign and remains engaged in a race with the New York Yankees (299) for the new single-season mark.

Eight Twins players have hit at least 20 homers this season, including five with 30 or more. Nelson Cruz leads the team with 40.

Manager Rocco Baldelli celebrated his 38th birthday on Wednesday as the Twins wrapped up the division. The rookie skipper is viewed by many as one of the top contenders to take home the AL Manager of the Year Award.