Surging Guardians return home to face sizzling Royals

The Cleveland Guardians hit the road last Friday with their postseason hopes slipping.

After two comebacks in last-at-bat victories and seven straight wins overall, they're back home in a much better position.

Cleveland's Tanner Bibee (5-13, 3.97 ERA) will oppose Kansas City Royals fellow right-hander Michael Wacha (7-8, 3.49) in an American League Central matchup on Friday night.

Thanks to the longest active winning streak in the majors, Cleveland holds a two-game lead over the Texas Rangers for the AL's third and final wild-card spot. The Guardians also have pulled within 2 1/2 games of the first-place Chicago White Sox in the division.

"You want to be one of those hot teams going into the playoffs," Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan said. "And that's where we want to go."

Cleveland wrapped up its trip with back-to-back late rallies at the Los Angeles Angels, winning 8-6 in 10 innings Tuesday and 4-3 the next night.

The finale saw the Angels build a 3-1 lead before Nathaniel Lowe drove in a run in the eighth inning. In the ninth, Kwan doubled home Petey Halpin, and Travis Bazzana hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly.

"We just trusted the plan, believed in each other, and came out on top," Kwan said.

Bazzana avoided a potentially serious injury earlier in the game while running the bases when Jose Ramirez hit a line drive off his right forearm. The All-Star rookie second baseman was left with a baseball-shaped mark, complete with the ball's seams.

Ramirez was credited with a hit, per MLB scoring rules.

"I looked at my arm, and those seams were imprinted from immediate contact, but it feels fine," Bazzana said. "That was probably the hardest I've ever been hit by a baseball."

Bibee broke a four-game losing streak with six innings of two-run ball at the Colorado Rockies last Saturday, winning 4-3. He is 1-4 with a 4.34 ERA in six outings since July 25.

The Royals beat Bibee for the first time earlier this season, but he is 4-1 with a 3.53 ERA in 10 career games against them. They have homered eight times off him in their last nine meetings.

Kansas City arrived in Cleveland on a high, having won 10 of its 11 games, including a 13-2 rout at the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday. The surge, however, has come too late for the Royals to make a push for the playoffs.

Jac Caglianone recorded a career-high six RBIs, homered off outfielder Myles Straw, scored three times and went 5-for-6 in the team's last victory. Carter Jensen also became the first catcher ever to hit five leadoff homers in a season.

"Nobody ever wants to try and hit homers," Caglianone said. "I am trying to stay within myself and ease up off the gas pedal. Do what you do well, and the results will be there. But you have to buy into that, knowing that your skill set is good enough to play here."

Wacha has won both of his starts during the Royals' hot stretch, beating the Detroit Tigers and the Athletics while giving up five runs over 12 innings. The two-time All-Star also is 2-0 against the Guardians this year, posting a 1.93 ERA in two games.

In his career, Wacha is 4-2 with a 2.35 ERA against Cleveland in 10 starts.

--Field Level Media