Royals visit the Cubs to start 3-game series
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Royals vs Cubs Prediction and Picks for July 21 2025
The MLB is back in action after their All-Star Break, with the Kansas City Royals playing their first two series on the road. The Chicago Cubs have been the class of the NL Central for the majority of the season, but their lead at the top of the division is shrinking. This is the only series between these teams this season. Neither team has named their starter yet for this game, but they do for Sunday, and the three following games, meaning this is the blank spot in the rotation where they will need a bullpen game. The Royals rank 2nd in the MLB in team ERA at 3.52. The Cubs are 5.5 games out of the final Wild Card spot inThe American League. The Brewers are now only one game back in the standings, as the top two teams begin to separate from the rest of the pack with the Reds in third, 7.5-games back. The Reds have won four straight, two before the break against the Yankees, and won the first two in their series against the Red Sox.
The Kansas City Royals (47-52) and the Chicago Cubs (59-39) will begin a three game series of interleague play on Monday in this Royals vs. Cubs prediction. The Royals need to finish up their three game series in Miami on Sunday, while the Cubs close at home against Boston (Note: This article was published before Sunday’s results). This is the only series between these teams this season. Neither team has named their starter as of Sunday. Keep reading to see our Royals vs. Cubs prediction, and check out all of our winning Free MLB Picks.
Kansas City Opens on the Road The MLB is back in action after their All-Star Break, with the The MLB is back in action after their All-Star Break, with the Kansas City Royals playing their first two series on the road. They started in Miami, where they lost the first two games of that set, then have to travel next day to take on these Cubs in Chicago. They are fourth in the AL Central, and are 5.5 games out of the final Wild Card spot in the American League. In Saturday’s game, the Royals had just three hits in the 3-1 loss to the Marlins. Their only run came from a Salvador Perez home run in the 8th inning, but it was not enough as the Marlins put up two runs in the bottom of the inning to regain the lead. Perez is their 35-year old catcher who goes back and forth from his spot behind the plate and DH. He has been a member of the Royals since 2011, and this season he has 14 home runs and 55 RBIs to go with his .248 batting average. Bobby Witt Jr. bats second as their shortstop, he has a team high 113 hits on the year, adding to his 14 home runs and 54 RBIs. Vinnie Pasquantino is putting up their best power numbers, he leads the team with 15 home runs and 56 RBIs. They Royals only have three starters currently healthy in their rotation in Bubic, Wacha and Lugo, and none of them are scheduled to start here. This means it will likely be a bullpen game. This might not be a bad thing, as they Royals rank 2nd in the MLB in team ERA at 3.52.
Cubs Hold Narrow Lead The The Chicago Cubs have been the class of the NL Central for the majority of the season, but their lead at the top of the division is shrinking. The Brewers are now only one game back in the standings, as the top two teams begin to separate from the rest of the pack with the Reds in third, 7.5-games back. The have won four straight, two before the break against the Yankees, and won the first two in their series against the Red Sox. In Saturday’s game, the Cubs hit five solo home runs in a 6-0 win over Boston. One of those home runs was by Pete Crow-Armstrong, the rising star centerfielder who just played in his first All-Star Game. The 23-year old bats fourth in the lineup, and is tied for the team lead in home runs with 26, and leads the team with 28 stolen bases. He has 72 RBIs and is batting .268 at the plate. Seiya Suzuki is the other Chicago player with 26 home runs, and he also leads the team with 80 RBIs. Suzuki has been taking the DH spot recently, and is batting .263 from the third spot in the order. Kyle Tucker also homered on Saturday, it was his 18th of the year to go with 57 RBIs from the second spot in the lineup as their right fielder. The Cubs do not have their starter named yet for this game, but they do for Sunday, and the three following games, meaning this is the blank spot in the rotation where they will need a bullpen game. Chicago ranks 11th in the league in team ERA at 3.77.
Best Bets for Kansas City Royals vs. Chicago Cubs
Full-Game Side Bet Insiders Status:
Rating: The Cubs are playing better baseball, and do not need to travel prior to this game, which will give them the rest advantage and as easy win. Chicago won their first two games since the break at home over the Red Sox, while Kansas City is struggling down South against the Marlins. Kansas City only had three hits on Saturday against the Marlins, and will not be facing a better pitching staff when they come to Chicago. The Cubs have covered the runline in each of their last seven wins, so laying the extra run is worth the risk here. Chicago is losing their grip at the top of the division, and will capitalize with a win over the Royals who have cooled off. Take the Cubs to cover the runline. Prediction: Chicago Cubs -1.5 Full-Game Total Pick Insiders Status:
Rating: This is going to be a strong play on the under. Without the starters named, this seems like a game that could have easily been projected as an over, but that is not what the trends and pitching staffs would lead us to believe. Kansas City hasn’t named their starter, but they are strong throughout their entire bullpen as they are second in the league in team ERA. Considering they are 2nd in the league in that metric, but only fourth in the AL Central standings, it is clear their offense has been letting them down more often than pitching. The Cubs are 11th in team ERA, and have only allowed two combined runs over their last three games, with strong opponents in the Yankees and Red Sox. Chicago has gone under in seven of their last eight, and will go under again here. Take the under. Prediction: Under
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How Salvador Perez and Kris Bubic propelled Royals to critical win over Marlins
Kansas City Royals first baseman Salvador Perez got a hit and scored early and then homered late against the Marlins on Sunday, July 20, 2025 at LoanDepot Park in Miami. The Royals (48-52) salvaged a series victory in Miami and are five games behind the Boston Red Sox for the final American League Wild Card spot. On Sunday, the club announced right-handed reliever Hunter Harvey will continue his rehab assignment with Double-A Northwest Arkansas. KC will start left-hander Noah Cameron on Monday and righty Seth Lugo on Wednesday. The club could decide to throw a bullpen game or call up another option from Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday, manager Matt Quatraro said. The team has two starting pitchers — Cole Ragans and Michael Lorenzen — on the injured list and Lorenzen is dealing with a left rotator cuff strain and a left oblique strain, QuatRaro added.
After a slow start following the All-Star break, the Kansas City Royals found themselves in an untenable situation against the Miami Marlins.
The Royals were staring down the barrel of a series sweep on the road. Their upcoming slate was no easier, with the Chicago Cubs awaiting to finish a six-game road trip. KC needed positive momentum and Sunday’s game was as close to a must-win as possible.
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And the Royals got it done.
The club dispatched the Marlins 7-4 at LoanDepot Park behind clutch hitting throughout the lineup. Jac Caglianone and Jonathan India each provided two-run doubles and Salvador Perez capped the victory with a solo homer.
“Salvy is incredible,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro told local reporters in Miami. “What he has done for his career and what he is doing right now, he is a Hall of Famer. And when he gets going in the middle of our order, that’s an enormous spark for us.”
Perez has hit six home runs in his last 10 games. His latest traveled 369 feet over the left-field wall.
The Royals finished 4-for-12 with runners in scoring position. They knocked around Marlins starter Janson Junk across five innings. He allowed six runs, including three apiece in the fourth and fifth innings.
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Things were a lot smoother for Royals starter Kris Bubic. The 2025 All-Star shut down the Marlins across five innings. He allowed three hits and registered two strikeouts before handing the game over to the Royals’ bullpen.
“Getting those early runs, it’s always nice to pitch with a good lead like that,” Bubic said postgame, via FanDuel Sports Network Kansas City. “Good to give us to innings there and the bullpen wrapped it up.”
A relief quartet of Steven Cruz, Taylor Clarke, Sam Long and Andrew Hoffmann finished the game on the mound, but not before the Marlins (46-52) scored four runs against Hoffman in the ninth and created a save situation.
KC turned to All-Star closer Carlos Estévez to shut the door. He retired Liam Hicks to secure his 26th save of the season.
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“We don’t want to bring him in, but we know he is going to be ready,” Quatraro said. “It’s why we have him, to put out fires like that. We are comfortable bringing him in high-leverage situations. We didn’t want it to get to that point, clearly, but that’s the way the game unfolded.”
The Royals (48-52) salvaged a series victory in Miami and are five games behind the Boston Red Sox for the final American League Wild Card spot.
Hunter Harvey continues progression
The Royals could get some bullpen reinforcements soon. On Sunday, the club announced right-handed reliever Hunter Harvey will continue his rehab assignment with Double-A Northwest Arkansas.
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Per MLB.com reporter Anne Rogers, Harvey is set to throw around 20 pitches against the Tulsa Drillers at ONEOK Field.
Harvey hasn’t pitched since April 7 against the Minnesota Twins. He is currently on the 60-day injured list with a right teres major strain.
What’s Ahead
The Royals now head to Wrigley Field for a three-game series against the Cubs. KC will start left-hander Noah Cameron on Monday and righty Seth Lugo on Wednesday.
There is some uncertainty surrounding Tuesday’s starter. The Royals could decide to throw a bullpen game or call up another option from Triple-A Omaha.
Royals manager Matt Quatraro will evaluate the bullpen’s availability before announcing a decision.
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The Royals have two starting pitchers — Cole Ragans and Michael Lorenzen — on the injured list. Ragans has a left rotator cuff strain and Lorenzen is dealing with a left oblique strain.
Wilyer Abreu homers twice as Red Sox beat Cubs to avoid sweep
Wilyer Abreu homered twice and drove in three runs. Alex Bregman also connected as Boston rallied after managing just one run in its first two games after the All-Star break. Garrett Crochet (11-4) pitched six effective innings in his fourth consecutive win. Chicago wasted a sharp performance by Cade Horton, who pitched 5 2/3 innings of two-hit ball.. The Red Sox improved to 13-14 against the Cubs since the start of interleague play in 1997.
Alex Bregman also connected as Boston rallied after managing just one run in its first two games after the All-Star break. Garrett Crochet (11-4) pitched six effective innings in his fourth consecutive win.
The Red Sox went ahead to stay when Trevor Story opened the seventh with a walk and Abreu hit a drive to right-center off Ryan Pressly (2-3) for his 19th homer.
Bregman broke it open with a pinch-hit shot off Drew Pomeranz for a three-run homer in the eighth. Abreu tacked on a two-out solo drive against Ethan Roberts.
It was Abreu’s fourth multihomer game of the season and No. 5 for his career. He hit a total of 17 homers in his first two years in the majors.
Boston improved to 12-3 in July. It had won 10 in a row going into the series.
Chicago wasted a sharp performance by Cade Horton, who pitched 5 2/3 innings of two-hit ball. The Cubs had won five of six.
Crochet allowed eight hits in his first start since July 12. The All-Star left-hander struck out five and walked two.
Chicago scored its only run in the second. Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a leadoff double and Dansby Swanson followed with an infield single. After Crow-Armstrong was caught stealing third, Swanson raced home from second on Ian Happ’s single to right.
Key moment
The Cubs threatened in the fifth, loading the bases with two down. But Crochet escaped the jam when he got Carson Kelly to bounce into a fielder’s choice.
Key stat
The Red Sox improved to 13-14 against the Cubs since the start of interleague play in 1997.
Up next
Red Sox: RHP Walker Buehler (6-6, 6.12 ERA) starts Monday night in the opener of a three-game series at Philadelphia. RHP Zack Wheeler (9-3, 2.36 ERA) goes for the Phillies.
Cubs: Stay at home for the opener of a three-game set against Kansas City on Monday night.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
MLB roundup: Brewers beat Dodgers again, win 9th straight
Trent Grisham hit his third career grand slam in the ninth inning to propel New York to a come-from-behind win over Atlanta. Jake Fraley matched a season high with three hits, including a go-ahead RBI single, as Cincinnati rallied from an early two-run deficit to win in New York. Michael Busch and Kyle Tucker slugged back-to-back home runs in the first as Chicago blanked visiting Boston 6-0. Otto Lopez drove in all three runs as host Miami defeated Kansas City 3-1 to take the weekend series 3-2. The Marlins improved to 21-10 over their past 31 games, while the Red Sox have lost two straight after posting a 10-game winning streak to end the first half. The Blue Jays won the first two games of the three-game series with a 6-5 victory over San Francisco. The Giants had a 14-4 advantage in hits for the second game in a row, but lost 3-0 to Toronto.
The Brewers won even as All-Star right-hander Freddy Peralta (12-4) tied a season high by allowing four runs in five innings. Trevor Megill pitched the ninth inning for his 23rd save as Milwaukee improved to 5-0 against Los Angeles with the finale of the season series Sunday.
Neither team has swept the other in a season series since the Brewers moved to the National League in 1998.
Shohei Ohtani hit one of three home runs for the Dodgers, who have lost nine of their last 11 games. With a struggling Mookie Betts getting the night off for Los Angeles, Will Smith had two hits out of the No. 2 spot of the lineup.
Yankees 12, Braves 9
Trent Grisham hit his third career grand slam in the ninth inning to propel visiting New York to a come-from-behind win over Atlanta.
Grisham hit a slider from Raisel Iglesias into the right field seats to give the Yankees their first lead of the game and help end their three-game losing streak. It was Grisham’s 17th homer, tying his career high. Luke Weaver pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings and earned the win. Anthony Volpe sparked the New York offense with a pair of home runs, his 11th and 12th, and a sacrifice fly.
The Braves had built a 5-0 lead thanks in part to a 438-foot solo homer by Michael Harris II, his first since June 13, and a three-run homer by Ozzie Albies. Albies added a two-run single in the fifth to give Atlanta a 7-2 lead before New York’s rally.
Cubs 6, Red Sox 0
Shota Imanaga threw seven scoreless innings, and Michael Busch and Kyle Tucker slugged back-to-back home runs in the first as Chicago blanked visiting Boston.
Imanaga (7-3) allowed just five hits while striking out five and walking one, helping the Cubs take the weekend series and win their fourth straight game. Matt Shaw, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Ian Happ each added solo homers for Chicago, which now holds the majors’ best record (59-39).
Boston starter Brayan Bello (6-4) allowed three runs on six hits in the loss, striking out four and walking one. The Red Sox have lost two straight after posting a 10-game winning streak to end the first half.
Reds 5, Mets 2
Jake Fraley matched a season high with three hits, including a go-ahead RBI single, as Cincinnati rallied from an early two-run deficit to win in New York.
Fraley had two doubles and Spencer Steer added two hits for the Reds, who won for the sixth time in seven games to improve to a season-high five games over .500.
Brett Baty homered and singled for New York, while Luis Torrens added two hits. Mark Vientos also singled and drove in a run.
Marlins 3, Royals 1
Shortstop Otto Lopez drove in all three runs as host Miami defeated Kansas City.
Lopez’s two-run double in the eighth inning snapped a 1-1 score. Xavier Edwards added a triple, a double and two runs scored as the Marlins improved to 21-10 over their past 31 games. Miami’s Cal Quantrill pitched a season-high six innings, allowing two hits (both singles), no walks and no runs while striking out three. Ronny Henriquez (6-1) earned the win, and Anthony Bender pitched a scoreless ninth, earning his third save.
Reliever Lucas Erceg (4-3) took the loss for the Royals after Michael Wacha pitched six innings, allowing three hits, one walk and one run with one strikeout. Salvador Perez led the Royals at the plate with a homer.
Blue Jays 6, Giants 3
Eric Lauer pitched six strong innings, Tyler Heineman had a homer and three RBIs and host Toronto defeated San Francisco.
Lauer (5-2) allowed two runs, two hits and no walks with seven strikeouts. Addison Barger was 4-for-4 for the Blue Jays, who have won the first of two games of the three-game series. Will Wagner had a two-run double for the second game in a row for Toronto, which had a 14-4 advantage in hits on Saturday.
Willy Adames hit two solo home runs for the Giants. Starter Logan Webb (9-7) completed six innings, allowing four runs, 11 hits and one walk with one strikeout.
Phillies 9, Angels 5
Kyle Schwarber belted a go-ahead grand slam in the sixth inning to vault Philadelphia to a home win over Los Angeles.
Bryce Harper also homered for the Phillies after hitting two bombs in Friday’s 6-5 defeat in the series opener. Nick Castellanos, Trea Turner and Johan Rojas drove in the other runs for Philadelphia. Phillies starter Taijuan Walker allowed three runs and nine hits over four innings before handing the ball over to the bullpen.
Taylor Ward, Jo Adell and Yoan Moncada hit home runs for the Angels. Yusei Kikuchi allowed two runs and five hits over five innings before the Los Angeles bullpen scuffled to the finish line.
Rays 4, Orioles 3
Tampa Bay came from behind with a three-run eighth inning — sparked by excellent baserunning — to beat visiting Baltimore.
After tying the game with a single, Chandler Simpson stole his 27th base and went to third on a wild pitch as Jose Caballero walked. Caballero promptly stole his league-leading 32nd base — and the Rays’ third steal of the inning — to put runners at second and third with one out, and both runners would come in to score.
Seranthony Dominguez (2-3) took the loss after giving up three runs (two earned) in 1/3 of an inning in the eighth. Edwin Uceta (6-2) picked up the win with two innings of scoreless relief. Pete Fairbanks earned his 16th save despite giving up a run in the ninth.
White Sox 10, Pirates 4
Mike Tauchman’s go-ahead, bases-clearing double highlighted a six-run sixth inning that propelled Chicago to a comeback win over host Pittsburgh.
Tauchman and Lenyn Sosa each had three RBIs to lead the White Sox to their second win in a row following the All-Star break and their third win in the past five games. After Chicago starter Adrian Houser gave up four runs (three earned) in 4 1/3 innings, the White Sox bullpen held the Pirates scoreless the rest of the way.
The Pirates, who lost their second in a row and have lost 10 of their last 11 games, led 3-0 and rookie starter Mike Burrows took a no-hitter into the fifth inning. After Burrows left the game following the fifth, Caleb Ferguson (2-2) gave up four runs on four hits and recorded only one out.
Rangers 4, Tigers 1
Rowdy Tellez hit a three-run home run to back a strong start by Kumar Rocker as Texas defeated struggling Detroit in the second of three-game series in Arlington, Texas.
Tellez’s homer was a boon for Rocker (4-4), who allowed one hit, walked three and struck out six over 6 1/3 innings of work. Tellez, who was signed to a minor league contract on July 5 by the Rangers a week after being released by Seattle, wasn’t on the team until Friday, when he went 0-for-3.
The Tigers did not get a runner past second base until a Riley Greene home run to open the ninth inning. Detroit starter Keider Montero (4-2) went 4 1/3 innings, giving up four runs on four hits with three walks and five strikeouts.
Diamondbacks 10, Cardinals 1
Eugenio Suarez hit two home runs and drove in three and Corbin Carroll had three hits, including two triples, as host Arizona topped St. Louis to win its third straight game.
Geraldo Perdomo had three singles and four RBIs and Ryne Nelson gave up one run in six innings for the D-backs, who have outscored the Cardinals 17-4 in the first two games of the series. Nelson (6-2) gave up four hits, with Alec Burleson’s homer in the sixth the only damage. Nelson is 4-0 with a 2.29 ERA in his last seven starts. Suarez has 33 homers and leads the NL with 81 RBIs. Carroll leads the majors with 12 triples.
Masyn Winn had three hits for the Cardinals, who have lost 10 of 14. Sonny Gray (9-4) gave up 11 hits and a career-high nine runs (eight earned) before leaving in the fourth.
Athletics 8, Guardians 2
Shea Langeliers and Jacob Wilson both hit two-run home runs and Luis Severino earned his first win in more than a month as the Athletics scored the final eight runs of the game to win in Cleveland.
Severino (3-11) went five innings, allowing two runs on three hits in snapping a five-start losing streak. The right-hander struck out three and walked two in an 86-pitch outing. Jack Perkins and Justin Sterner combined for four hitless innings to wrap up the three-hitter.
Rookie first baseman Kurtz went 3-for-5 and drove in two runs, and speedy center fielder Denzel Clarke fell a homer shy of hitting for the cycle for the Athletics. The Guardians lost for just the second time in nine games.
Rockies 10, Twins 6
Ryan McMahon, Ezequiel Tovar and Hunter Goodman homered as host Colorado rallied to beat Minnesota in Denver to clinch the Rockies’ first home series win of the season.
Tovar was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBIs, and Goodman also drove in three runs. Kody Clemens was 2-for-4 (double, triple) with three RBIs in the loss, the Twins’ third straight.
Rockies starter Antonio Senzatela (4-13) earned the win after allowing three runs and six hits in seven innings with a walk and three strikeouts. Minnesota starter Zebby Matthews (1-2) gave up five runs and eight hits in four-plus innings with a walk and six strikeouts in taking the loss.
Nationals 4, Padres 2
Mitchell Parker tossed six solid innings and Nathaniel Lowe homered to help host Washington double up San Diego and snap a five-game losing streak.
Drew Millas added a two-run single for Washington, which won for just the second time in its past 11 contests. Parker (6-10) allowed two runs on five hits over six innings. He struck out four and walked one while winning for the first time since beating the Padres in San Diego on June 23.
Luis Arraez and Jose Iglesias each had two hits for San Diego, which lost for just the second time in the past six games. Padres starter Yu Darvish (0-2) gave up three runs on five hits over five innings. He struck out one and walked one.
Mariners 7, Astros 6 (11 inn.)
Rookie Cole Young singled home the winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning as Seattle defeated visiting Houston for the Mariners’ fifth straight win.
With Dominic Canzone the runner at second to start the inning, Miles Mastrobuoni put down a sacrifice bunt to move Canzone to third. Young lined a single down the right field line off Houston’s Hector Neris (3-2) to win it.
Both teams scored in the 10th. Houston pinch hitter Taylor Trammell’s sacrifice fly brought home the go-ahead run in the top of the inning. The Mariners tied it in the bottom half as Cal Raleigh scored from third on a fluke groundout off the knob of Dylan Moore’s bat.
–Field Level Media
Pete Crow-Armstrong homers twice as Chicago Cubs top Minnesota Twins to deny series sweep
Pete Crow-Armstrong hits two home runs for his fifth multi-homer game this season. Colin Rea (7-3) wins his third straight start with a three-hitter over a season-high seven innings. Michael Busch adds two RBIs for the Cubs. The Cubs travel to New York for three-game series against the Yankees starting Friday.. Minnesota native Paul Skenes (4-7) takes the mound for the Pirates opposite RH Joe Ryan (8-4, 2.76 ERA) in a matchup of All-Star starting pitchers.
Crow-Armstrong, whose first-half breakout earned him a starting spot for the National League All-Star team, went 3 for 4 with three runs and three RBIs to help the Cubs avoid a three-game sweep. Colin Rea (7-3) won his third straight start with a three-hitter over a season-high seven innings, and Minnesota native Michael Busch added two RBIs.
Rea allowed only a fifth-inning home run by Kody Clemens, as the 35-year-old right-hander turned in his longest start since seven shutout innings for Milwaukee last Aug. 18.
Dansby Swanson doubled and scored on Nico Hoerner’s single in the second inning to give the Cubs their first lead of the series, and they kept hacking for all five innings against Twins starter Chris Paddack (3-8).
Paddack, who considers Rea a mentor dating to their time together with San Diego for his advice on recovery from Tommy John elbow surgery, gave up 11 hits and six runs. He is 1-5 in his last 10 starts, with the Twins winning three.
Key moment
Crow-Armstrong hit a two-out, two-run homer in the third inning, a 414-foot blast that was a few inches too high for center fielder Harrison Bader to catch as he jumped at the wall.
Key stat
Crow-Armstrong led off the seventh against Anthony Misiewicz with a solo shot to tie teammate Seiya Suzuki for sixth in MLB with 25 homers.
Up next
The Cubs travel to New York for a three-game series against the Yankees starting Friday. Neither team had announced their starter.
The Twins host Pittsburgh for a three-game series starting Friday, when RH Paul Skenes (4-7, 1.94 ERA) takes the mound for the Pirates opposite RH Joe Ryan (8-4, 2.76 ERA) in a matchup of All-Star starting pitchers.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
Source: https://www.foxsports.com/articles/mlb/royals-visit-the-cubs-to-start-3game-series