Guardians Face Royals in Crucial Series Ahead of Trade Deadline

KANSAS CITY, MO — The Cleveland Guardians are set to face the Kansas City Royals in a three-game series this weekend at Kauffman Stadium, beginning Friday, July 25.

This pivotal matchup comes as both teams are teetering on the edge of contention in the American League. The Guardians, sitting at 51-51, are three games back from a Wild Card spot, while the Royals hold a 50-53 record and are 1.5 games behind the Guardians.

The games will be broadcast on various platforms, with Apple TV+ airing Friday’s opener at 8:10 p.m. Saturday’s game is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. on FOX, and Sunday’s matinée at 2:10 p.m. will also be available on CLEGuardians.TV. The radio broadcast can be heard on WTAM 1100 and WMMS 100.7 FM.

Starting pitchers for the series include RHP Gavin Williams for the Guardians on Friday, who boasts a record of 6-4 with a 3.54 ERA, and RHP Michael Wacha for the Royals with a 4-9 record and a 3.62 ERA. Saturday will see RHP Tanner Bibee of the Guardians (6-9, 4.27) face off against LHP Kris Bubic (8-6, 2.38). The series concludes with LHP Joey Cantillo (2-0, 3.91) taking on LHP Noah Cameron (4-4, 2.61) on Sunday.

The Guardians are coming off a strong stretch, winning 11 of their last 14 games, including a series against the Orioles. Key players like Steven Kwan (.346, four RBI) and Kyle Manzardo (.294, two homers, six RBI) have shown promise against the Royals this season. Bibee remains unbeaten against Kansas City, with Williams showing consistent performance.

In contrast, the Royals enter the series following a day of rest. Sal Perez leads the team in home runs with 18 and runs batted in with 62. Maikel Garcia has also been effective against the Guardians, hitting .412 with seven RBI this season. Bubic, the Royals’ ace, has been a bright spot with his low 2.38 ERA.

Injuries could play a factor, with notable players sidelined, including Guardians RHP Paul Sewald (right shoulder) and Royals 2B Michael Massey (right wrist).

This series may very well define both teams’ playoff aspirations as the MLB trade deadline approaches.