KC Royals face high-stakes series finale in Cleveland today

For playoff contenders like the KC Royals, every game is big this late in the season. Division and Wild Card leads must be protected; ground must be made up for teams close to each. The stakes are high.

So it is with the Royals and Cleveland when the two American League Central clubs meet early this afternoon at Progressive Field. There's a lot to play for.

Sole ownership of first place heads the list. The Royals can take the spot for themselves after they tied the Guardians for the top Central spot with a bullpen-driven 6-1 Tuesday victory. Both teams stand 75-58, good for a shared 2.5-game lead over Minnesota. Losers of three in a row, the Twins host the Braves tonight.

Then there's the Wild Card matter. The Royals are in excellent shape with 29 games left to play — they and the Guardians are tied for the second spot, and lead Minnesota by 2.5 games and Boston by 6.5.

And should Kansas City and Cleveland finish the 2024 campaign tied for either the Division title or a Wild Card spot, the Royals get the nod because they've already clinched the two-team season series.

And this series? Tuesday's impressive Monday doubleheader victory brought the Royals within a game of Cleveland and assured it of leaving town with nothing worse than a road series split. A win today will give KC a huge four-game series sweep.

Here's what else to know about today's 12:10 p.m. CDT contest.

Who are the starting pitchers?

Red-hot Michael Wacha takes the mound today for the Royals. Wacha, pitching well enough that he might be tempted to decline his player option and test free agency after the season, hasn't lost since late June and is 3-0 with a 2.16 in four August starts; 11-6, 3.32 overall, he's faced the Guardians once this year, but didn't get a decision in the 5.1-inning, one-run, six-strikeout start he made against them in Kansas City June 27.

Tanner Bibee starts for Cleveland. The right-hander's season stats are strikingly similar to Wacha's — he's 10-6 with a 3.46 ERA. He's 1-0 in two starts against the Royals this year.

What does KC Royals manager Matt Quatraro's lineup look like?

Here it is:

Who's in Cleveland's lineup?

Here's how Guardians manager Stephen Vogt will deploy his team:

How can fans watch or listen to today's game?

Bally Sports Midwest, Bally Sports Great Lakes, and MLBN (subject to blackout) will all carry the telecast. Streaming options can be found here. The radio broadcast is available on Kansas City's 96.5 FM The Fan and KFNZ-AM 610, and also on the dozens of other Royals Radio Network affiliate stations.

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