The Cleveland Guardians host the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field on Friday night. First pitch is set for 6:10PM ET. This is the fourth meeting between these teams in 2025, with Cleveland winning the last matchup on March 30 by a score of 6-2.
Cleveland enters the game at 6-6 overall and 3-0 at home. Kansas City sits at 7-6 with a 1-2 road record. Both teams are coming off series wins and bring momentum into this game.
Guardians Preview – Can Bibee Bounce Back?
The Guardians swept the White Sox and gave up just three total runs in that series. Gavin Williams threw five strong innings in Thursday’s 6-1 win. Steven Kwan went 4-for-5 with a homer and 4 RBIs to lead the offense.
Kwan is hitting .356 on the season and leads the team with 16 hits. Jose Ramirez and Kyle Manzardo have each hit four home runs. Carlos Santana and Jhonkensy Noel have also added support in the middle of the order, while Brayan Rocchio and Daniel Schneemann provide speed and defense up the middle.
Cleveland starters have a 5.15 ERA, and opponents are hitting .279 against them. The bullpen has performed better with a 2.38 ERA. Paul Sewald and Emmanuel Clase are handling late-inning duties, combining for 15 strikeouts in 12.2 innings. Hunter Gaddis has also delivered scoreless outings in his last three appearances.
Tanner Bibee will start for Cleveland. He’s 1-1 with a 6.52 ERA this season and gave up seven runs to the Angels in his last outing. In six career starts against Kansas City, Bibee is 3-0 with a 3.03 ERA and pitched 5.2 shutout innings against the Royals earlier this season.
Royals Preview – Riding a Hot Stretch
Kansas City has won four of its last five games. The Royals beat the Twins 3-2 on Thursday behind clutch hits from Jonathan India and Bobby Witt Jr. They have won recent series over Baltimore and Minnesota to get back above .500.
Witt leads the team with 14 hits and is off to a strong start. Jonathan India, who joined from Cincinnati, is beginning to find a rhythm and had a big moment in Thursday’s win. Vinnie Pasquantino, MJ Melendez, and Salvador Perez add depth to the middle of the lineup. Freddy Fermin and Drew Waters round out a young but active batting order.
Kansas City’s pitching has been strong early. The team’s overall ERA is 2.97, with starters holding a 2.76 mark. The bullpen has a 3.28 ERA with Hunter Harvey, Lucas Erceg, and Carlos Estevez pitching well. John Schreiber and Chris Stratton give the team more late-inning options, though some relievers like Sam Long have struggled with control and runs allowed.
Kris Bubic is 2-0 and has not given up an earned run in 12.2 innings this season. He has 16 strikeouts to just 3 walks. While his career ERA against Cleveland is 5.89, he shut out both Baltimore and Minnesota in his first two starts this year and is throwing with command and confidence.
Betting Prediction
Cleveland is a -145 favorite at home with the total set at 7.0. The Guardians are 3-0 at home this season. Kansas City is 1-2 on the road and has dropped two of the first three meetings against Cleveland this year.
Bubic is off to a great start, but Cleveland’s bats are warming up, especially at home. Bibee has had past success against the Royals and should bounce back in this matchup. Cleveland has the edge in hitting and bullpen depth in this spot.
Pick: Cleveland Guardians -145
