DETROIT -- The Detroit Tigers entered this season as heavy favorites to win the American League Central Division title.

At times, the lofty expectations seemed a bit too big to fulfill.

But in the end, they didn't disappoint.

The Tigers were crowned division champions for a second straight year Monday night, clinching a postseason berth for the 14th time in franchise history following their 6-3 win in Kansas City.

After trailing the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central for most the season, the Tigers gained sole possession of the division in late September and never looked back.

They became the first team in the American League to clinch their division en route to earning back-to-back postseason berths for the first time in 77 years.

And, like he has been for most games this season, Miguel Cabrera played a big part in it.

KEY TO THE GAME

The Tigers pieced together a five-run sixth inning, highlighted by Cabrera's 44th home run this season. The homer handed the Tigers a 2-0 lead and gave Cabrera sole possession of all three categories needed to claim the coveted Triple Crown.

The sixth-inning onslaught continued when Prince Fielder followed Cabrera with a double to center. He scored two batters later when David Lough misplayed Jhonny Peralta's routine fly ball to center.

A single from Andy Dirks and an intentional walk to Avisail Garcia loaded the bases for Gerald Laird, who laced a 3-1 pitch down the third-base line to clear the bases and give the Tigers a commanding 6-0 lead.

WHAT ELSE HAPPENED?

The Chicago White Sox finally won a game Monday night. Only it was too late.

Losers in 10 of its last 13 games, the White Sox

. But their playoff hopes were shattered less than an hour later.

Entering Monday, the Tigers' magic number to clinch the division was one. A Chicago loss and the Tigers would've clinched the division, regardless of the outcome of their game.

The Tigers now head back to the postseason, where a stellar offense them to the ALCS last year before finally being sent home by the Texas Rangers.

It's possible the Tigers, who are set to open Game 1 of the ALDS at home on Saturday, could see Texas this weekend, but another first-round matchup against the New York Yankees seems more likely.

TIGERS' HIGHLIGHTS

-- There was question as to whether Porcello's velocity would be an issue Monday after the 23-year-old saw a noticeable drop in his last start. That question was quickly answered when he consistently touch 94 mph and topped out at 95 in the first inning.

-- Porcello threw five shutout innings and retired a string of 10 straight batters before giving up a single to David Lough in the fifth. Alex Gordon broke up the shutout in the sixth with a leadoff home run to deep right, which chased Porcello from the game.

-- Jhonny Peralta's fifth-inning home run off Bruce Chen broke a scoreless tie and gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead. The 392-foot shot fell in the Royals' bullpen for his 13th this season.

TRIPLE CROWN WATCH

-- Cabrera continues to add on to his record-breaking season. His fourth-inning single gave him his 200th hit this season, making him the 21st player in franchise history to record 200-plus hits in a single season. He's the first Tigers player to do it since Placido Polanco and Magglio Ordonez accomplished it in 2007.

-- More impressive? He became only the second Tigers player -- and first since Hank Greenberg -- to record 200-plus hits and 40-plus home runs in a single season.

-- Cabrera finished the day 4-for-5, raising his batting average four points to .329 -- giving him a four-point lead over Los Angeles' Mike Trout, who has the second-best batting average in the AL.

-- Cabrera's 203 hits, 40 doubles, 44 homers, 137 RBIs have been reached only three times in history -- twice by Lou Gehrig and once by Babe Ruth.

TIGERS' LOWLIGHTS

-- After a one-out single in the fifth, Dirks was gunned down by Alex Gordon at third base when he tried taking two bags on Avisail Garcia's flare to left field. It was the Royals' 51st outfield assist this year -- two short of the franchise record set in 1969.

-- Al Alburquerque relieved Porcello in the sixth and promptly gave up a double and back-to-back walks to load the bases for Jeff Francoeur with no outs. The result? Not bad, actually. Alburquerque limited the damage by inducing a double play, which scored the runner from third, before striking out Lough to escape the jam.

POSTGAME QUESTION

-- Monday's win marked the fifth time Detroit has won its division since divisional play began in 1969. But here's the real question: Who will the Tigers play in the first round? New York? Baltimore? Texas?

-- Download the "Detroit Tigers on MLive app" for your iPhone or Android and follow Chris Iott and James Schmehl on Twitter to keep up with news on the Tigers.