Desperate to get back on track, Royals welcome Guardians

The past week has been a roller-coaster ride for the Kansas City Royals, who moved briefly into a tie atop the American League Central only to lose their next five games.

The Royals will look to snap their losing streak when they begin a three-game series against the visiting Cleveland Guardians on Monday.

The Houston Astros completed a four-game sweep of Kansas City (75-63) with a 7-2 win on Sunday. The defeat dropped the Royals into a tie with the Minnesota Twins (74-62) for second place in the American League Central, 3 1/2 games behind Cleveland (78-59).

"The whole series was frustrating," Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. "We didn't come out of here with any wins. That's what we play for is to win every day. That stinks."

Kansas City won three of four games against Cleveland early last week before adding several veteran players, including Tommy Pham, Robbie Grossman and Yuli Gurriel. Pham is excited about the opportunity.

"I just want to bring some consistency and, you know, help this team win as bad as possible," said Pham, who went 2-for-5 in his Royals debut on Sunday. "Try to get in the postseason and make a long run."

Cleveland took two of three from Pittsburgh over the weekend, capturing the series with a 6-1 victory on Sunday that left a strong impression on Pirates manager Derek Shelton. Jose Ramirez hit his 34th homer in the contest.

"They're good, they're athletic and their bullpen is really good and can shorten the game," Shelton said. "And the guy at third (Ramirez) is the best player in baseball that few people talk about, which is a shame."

The Guardians received a spark on Sunday from rookie Kyle Manzardo, who was recalled from Triple-A Columbus before the game and promptly hit his first two career homers.

Manzardo was relieved to record his first homers after struggling in 30 games with the Guardians earlier this season.

"I knew coming back that I didn't have one yet, so that was on my list of things to do," Manzardo said. "It took a little weight off my shoulders. It was good."

The Monday matchup will feature a pair of right-handers, Cleveland's Gavin Williams (2-7, 4.99 ERA) faces Kansas City's Michael Wacha (11-6, 3.50).

Williams, 25, is looking to bounce back after going 1-4 with a 6.56 ERA in five starts last month. He allowed two runs over five innings in a 6-1 loss to the Royals on Tuesday.

Bobby Witt Jr. is 2-for-11 against Williams, who is 1-1 with a 2.08 ERA in four career starts vs. Kansas City.

Williams is 0-5 with a 7.54 ERA in five home starts this season compared to 2-2 with a 3.03 mark in six outings away from Cleveland.

Wacha, 33, is set to make his 25th start of the season and second straight against Cleveland. He is one victory shy of 100 for his career.

Wacha allowed five runs on nine hits over six-plus innings in a no-decision against the Guardians on Wednesday.

Ramirez is 4-for-14 against Wacha, who is 2-0 with a 2.48 ERA in five career starts vs. Cleveland. He has allowed one run or fewer in four of the five outings, including the June 27 game, when he permitted one run in 5 1/3 innings during a no-decision.

Witt hit his 30th homer of the year on Sunday, becoming the first Royals player to reach that milestone in consecutive seasons.

--Field Level Media