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Game 131 Thread: Cleveland vs. Royals

Cleveland coming to town

Oscar Mercado #35 of the Cleveland Indians is safe at second base after hitting an RBI single and advancing on an error as Whit Merrifield #15 of the Kansas City Royals covers during the fourth inning at Progressive Field on July 10, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio.
Oscar Mercado #35 of the Cleveland Indians is safe at second base after hitting an RBI single and advancing on an error as Whit Merrifield #15 of the Kansas City Royals covers during the fourth inning at Progressive Field on July 10, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio.
Photo by Ron Schwane/Getty Images

Remember Jake Junis? Yeah, he’s back! He’s been gone for most of the year because of...reasons? He’s been injured but the Royals never really said what the injury was. Anyhoo, he’s here, he’s back, and we’re gonna start.

Coming to town are the newly-minted (or, shall we say, yet-to-be-minted) Cleveland Guardians. As Lesky highlighted earlier today, both Cleveland and Kansas City have been rather mediocre this year. Neither team is going to be in play for a top five (or maybe even top ten) draft pick next year, and neither is making the playoffs. It’s just pride on the line.

Well, that, and Junis is probably fighting for his spot in the roster. Either he and his new cutter are gonna do well enough to make the cut, or the rapidly expanding list of younger pitching prospects are going to push him off the island.

Cleveland lineup

Royals lineup