The Royals celebrate their division title inside the clubhouse on Thursday night

The Royals celebrate their division title inside the clubhouse on Thursday night

For the first time since 1985 and for the seventh time in franchise history, the Kansas City Royals are division champions.  The Royals beat the Seattle Mariners 10-4 on Thursday night.  That win, along with Minnesota’s loss to Cleveland mathematically made the Central Divsion title a reality.

With the victory, the Royals tied their win output from last year at 89, when they finished one-game out of first.

Eric Hosmer hit his 21st homer of the year in the fifth inning to tie the game at 3-3 and in the bottom of the sixth, the club went right back to work.  Alex Gordon walked with two out and Ben Zobrist doubled, putting runner on second and third.  Lorenzo Cain delivered with a single scoring the two runs that were the difference.  Cain has 71 RBIs on the year.

Alex Rios later singled home Hosmer in the seventh who was hit by a pitch.  The hit parade continued in the 8th when Mike Moustakas drove in two with a single and scored on Alex Rios’ triple.