TG Fantasy Baseball

CLEVELAND (AP) — Emmanuel Clase is breaking bats and records at an almost equal rate.

He's become baseball's grim reaper, the cream of the closer crop. Cleveland's right-hander with a devilish cut fastball not seen since Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera's dominant days with the New York Yankees is having a season to remember.

Maybe one that includes winning the Cy Young, a rarity for relievers.

On Monday night, Clase earned his MLB-leading 46th save — his 33rd straight since May 20 to tie José Mesa's single-season team record — as the Guardians inched closer to an unexpected AL Central title by rallying for a 4-3 win over the Minnesota Twins.

The game followed a familiar script: another Cleveland comeback (the club's 40th), followed by Clase.

Progressive Field may be the only place in the majors where if the bullpen door in right field swings open in the ninth inning, it's game over.

It's been that way was all season.

Guardians second baseman Andrés Giménez knows the drill. Once he hears Clase's entrance song blaring through the ballpark's sound system and sees his teammate jogging across the outfield grass with his braided, colored hair bouncing out of the back of his cap, there's only one thing left to do.

"I feel like I’m going to go home early,” Giménez said. “Honestly, it’s been absolutely incredible this year, and in the last three years. It’s just unbelievable, saving 40 games each season. It’s crazy. It’s special.”

Crazy. Special. Unfathomable. Unhittable.

Clase is posting statistics that almost seem imaginary. He's allowed just five earned runs in 69 1/3 innings, a 0.65 ERA that along with his conversion percentage on saves (94%) has put Clase firmly in the conversation for AL Cy Young consideration.

His advanced...