The Cleveland Indians have won the AL Central for the third consecutive year.

While the Boston Red Sox had previously clinched a playoff spot, the Indians became the first team this season to take home a division title with a 15-0 destruction of the Detroit Tigers.

Cleveland gave up just two hits while getting 18 of its own in cruising to victory Saturday.

They got things started early, as Francisco Lindor and Michael Brantley connected on back-to-back homers in the first inning off Michael Fulmer while building an 11-0 lead after two innings. Lindor's leadoff homer was his eighth of the season, breaking Grady Sizemore's team record.

The team did see DH Edwin Encarnacion exit with an ankle sprain, but that was the only real negative on a day that ended in a locker room celebration.

“I’m savoring every moment of this,” Brantley said. “This never gets old to me. This is a lot of hard work that this group has put in to get to this point. It’s all well-deserved, well-earned, and I’m glad to be a part of it.”

The early clinch comes thanks in part to a division that is the worst in baseball. The Minnesota Twins are currently second in the division at 67-80, 16 games back. The Tigers are now 60-88; the Chicago White Sox and Kansas City have yet to win 60 games.

Still, the Indians can't be faulted for taking advantage of their division and booking a return trip to the playoffs. The 2016 AL champions are looking to return to the World Series after suffering a disappointing exit in last year's ALDS when their 102-60 team lost in five games to the New York Yankees after taking a 2-0 series lead.

It’s really nice,” Lindor said. “We understand we still have a long way to go. We had an idea we were going to be in the postseason for a week now, but still, it feels good to celebrate, give that little teaser to all the guys, like, ‘This is what could happen if you continue to win.’”

Contributing: Associated Press