CLEVELAND — They'll play two, and they're two pretty crucial games with the season winding down and the divisional race heating up.
The Guardians and Kansas City Royals will play a split doubleheader Monday at Progressive Field, with the first game beginning at 1:10 p.m. ET and the second game having a first pitch of 6:40 p.m. ET. The day game is a makeup of a June 5 rainout .
The Guardians will be using an opener for the first time this season in the first game. Nick Sandlin will take the mound for the first few innings, hoping to get through the Royals lineup one time.
Joey Cantillo has been called up as today's 27th man, and Logan Allen has been promoted from Triple-A, so after Sandlin starts Game 1, the Guardians will have plenty of flexibility as to how they get through the day.
The Guardians begin the day with a three-game lead over the Royals and the Minnesota Twins in the AL Central.
Follow along here for live score updates, analysis and highlights through Monday's doubleheader.
The Guardians have a 2-0 lead on a play that was anything but ordinary.
With two runners on, Jose Ramirez lined a ball into the right-center gap that was nearly caught but couldn't be corralled. During some confusion, Steven Kwan and Andres Gimenez somehow both ended up between third base and home plate as the ball was being thrown into the infield.
It appeared as though at least one runner might be caught in a rundown, maybe even two, until the ball was bobbled again, allowing both to score and Ramirez to end up on third.
The Guardians have fallen in the first game of today's doubleheader, 4-3. With the potential tying run on first base, Josh Naylor popped out to shallow left field, ending the game.
With that, the Royals pull to within two games of the Guardians in the AL Central. Game 2 is scheduled for 6:40 p.m.
Bobby Witt Jr. is headed for at least an MVP finalist season, and he just drilled a solo home run off Hunter Gaddis to give the Royals back the lead, 4-3, in the eighth inning.
After Nick Sandlin opened the game by pitching the first inning, Eli Morgan, Scott Barlow and Connor Gillispie all threw two innings, leading to Gaddis in the eighth.
Jose Ramirez reached third base, forcing the Royals to bring the infield in, and Josh Naylor hit a weekly-hit single that found some space to tie it 3-3 in the seventh inning.
MJ Melendez makes highlight reel catch to save at least one run; Watch the video
MJ Melendez is having himself a day.
In addition to this three-run home run, Melendez just made a fantastic diving catch in left field that has saved at least one run in the fifth inning.
Royals starter Cole Ragans has left the game after 94 pitches with left calf and hamstring cramping, according to a press box announcement.
Ragans was seen by a medical trainer on the field before walking off and leaving the game.
MJ Melendez has given the Royals the lead — just barely.
Melendez, facing Eli Morgan with two runners on, drove a home run that just barely cleared the right-field wall. There was some confusion on the field, as it looked as though the ball hit the yellow line at the top of the wall, but a review confirmed that it first hit the railing just above it.
The Royals are up 3-2 in the fourth inning.
With the bases loaded, Steven Kwan drew a walk to give the Guardians a 1-0 lead, and Tyler Freeman scored via a passed ball by Royals catcher Salvador Perez, putting Cleveland up 2-0.
Nick Sandlin, pitching as an opener today, gave up two walks but also recorded two strikeouts to get through the first inning without allowing any damage.
Below is some pregame information.
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Both games will be televised on Bally Sports. They'll be broadcast on the radio by WTAM (1100-AM) and WMMS (100.7-FM).
The Guardians face the Royals for four games at Progressive Field before the Pittsburgh Pirates come to Cleveland for a weekend series.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Guardians vs. Kansas City Royals live score updates from doubleheader
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