Royals vs. Guardians game 37 thread

TL;DR

The Kansas City Royals aim to extend their winning streak against the Cleveland Guardians in game 37 of their series. A victory would elevate the Royals above the Guardians in the AL Central standings.

Key points

Royals have won five of their last games
Today's game is the third in the series against the Guardians
A win would elevate the Royals above the Guardians in standings
Cole Ragans is the starting pitcher for the Royals
Joey Cantillo is starting for the Guardians

Kansas City RoyalsCleveland Guardians

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MARCH 27: Cole Ragans #55 of the Kansas City Royals pitches against the Atlanta Braves in the second inning of the home opener at Truist Park on March 27, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images Winners of their last five games and ten of the last thirteen, the Royals are looking to continue erasing the early struggles and get to the top of the AL Central. Today will be the third game of the Cleveland series that is going to be at worst a split for the boys in blue. A victory today would put Kansas City above the Guardians in the standings and a win over the series over the weekend could also catapult them past the now Skubaless Tigers. Thoday’s lineup is an interesting one. Vinnie Pasquantino is in the fifth slot and Lane Thomas is batting third. Both Caglianone and Jensen will be taking the day off, at least until possible pinch hitting situations later in the game. The big question of the day is which Cole Ragans will the team see today. His early exit after Jose Ramirez lined one off of is hand the last time he faced Cleveland has set Ragans on an odd trajectory in 2026. For two starts after that, Ragans walked a lot of batters and struggled to get his typical strike outs, both on the road. Then he came back to Kauffman and dominated the Angels with 11 Ks only to go back on the road last start and look a little uncomfortable again. Dominant or command issues, which will it be? Opposite Cole will be who gave the Royals a very hard time in early April. He has struggled a little with walks all year but has been mostly effective. Kansas City’s offense has been much better in the last couple of weeks relative to when they saw Joey before, so hopefully they can get to the big lefty this time.

Q&A

What is the current standing of the Royals and Guardians in the AL Central?

The Royals are looking to surpass the Guardians in the AL Central standings with a win in today's game.

Who are the starting pitchers for the Royals vs. Guardians game?

Cole Ragans will pitch for the Royals, while Joey Cantillo will take the mound for the Guardians.

How has Cole Ragans performed recently against the Guardians?

Cole Ragans has had an inconsistent performance against the Guardians, struggling in his last outing after an early exit due to injury.