KANSAS CITY, Mo. — No unexpected wild-card ride into October this year. The Kansas City Royals are division champs for the first time in three decades — and they want a whole lot more.

Johnny Cueto earned his first win in nearly six weeks and the Royals clinched the AL Central crown Thursday night with a 10-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners.

The defending AL champions, who made a remarkable run through the postseason as a surprise wild card last year, came charging out of the dugout following the final out. Back in the clubhouse, they sprayed champagne during a happy celebration that included Royals Hall of Famer George Brett and owner David Glass.

BOSTON — Dave Dombrowski didn't have to go far in his search for a new general manager — as it turned out, his man was already in the office.Dombrowski stayed in-house by hiring Mike Hazen as Boston Red Sox general manager, promoting him to help rebuild a team that went from World Series champion in 2013 to the AL East cellar last year — and is stuck in last again this season.Hazen has been with Boston since 2006.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Royals reliever Greg Holland has a right elbow ligament tear that will end his season and likely require surgery.“It's a significant tear,” Royals manager Ned Yost said Thursday before a game against Seattle.Holland will see Dr. Neal ElAttrache of the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic in Los Angeles next week to determine the severity of the injury.Surgery is probable but depends on the second opinion.

ATLANTA — Two years after his wire-to-wire victory to capture the FedEx Cup, Henrik Stenson was just as dominant until he stalled at the end and had to settle for a 7-under 63 and a two-shot lead over Paul Casey in the Tour Championship.Stenson ripped a 4-wood from 288 yards to 25 feet and made the eagle putt on the par-5 ninth to go out in 29. He added two more birdies to reach 8 under through 12 holes, but had his lone bogey on the 17th.Even so, it was just the start he wanted on a course that he has figured out. Stenson opened with a 64 two years ago, stretched his lead to as many as nine shots in the third round and joined Tom Watson as the only wire-to-wire winners of the Tour Championship.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The lawyer for a woman accusing Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane of sexual assault abruptly quit the case, saying he's no longer comfortable representing the woman because of how her mother reported finding an evidence bag they believed once held the woman's rape kit.Thomas Eoannou told reporters he believes there were, what he called, “fabrications” in the story of how the bag was found. And he added that he's no longer sure if the bag ever contained evidence from the investigation.