It’s never easy to decide which games to watch when MLB bats start swinging. However, there are two today that offer some extra excitement for different reasons.

The Twins Face the Royals

On Friday, the Kansas City Royals will host the Minnesota Twins at Kauffman Stadium for an exciting showdown. The starting pitchers for this game will be Sonny Gray and Brady Singer. As we approach the month of August, the Twins proudly occupy the top position in the American League Central Division. On the other hand, the Royals are at the bottom of the American League Central Division, which currently owns the second-worst record in all of baseball.

In the midst of a winning streak, the Twins found a slight setback in their quest for dominance by conceding defeat in the last two meetings against the Mariners on their home turf in Minnesota. The Twins’ formidable pitching staff endured an uphill battle, giving up 17 runs to the Mariners over the course of both games, ultimately resulting in a 54–50 season record.

The Twins’ strong winning streak has caused their comfortable four-game lead in the division to shrink to just two games. As they prepare to compete against the Royals in the finals, the pressure to maintain their position intensifies.

Currently, the Royals are in the midst of a challenging rebuilding process that is clearly reflected in the team’s overall performance. Their recent record reveals a string of unfavorable results, suffering defeats in seven of their last eight matches.

In particular, they failed to secure wins in back-to-back games against the Rangers in Cleveland earlier this week. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given their difficulties, the Royals’ season stands at a meager 29-75, solidifying their position as the last-ranked team in the division.

The Royals are just one game behind the Oakland Athletics as both teams compete fiercely to claim the title of holding the lowest record in baseball. Today they will get a little closer.

White Sox Host the Guardians

Two other American League Central contenders are vying for victory at the baseball field located on Chicago’s South Side, known for its gusty winds. The Cleveland Guardians continue their away games, playing their second game of a four-game series. Earlier, Cleveland emerged victorious with a dominant 8-3 score against the Royals, securing a crucial victory in the third game of their previous three-game series.

The Chicago White Sox stumbled in their recent series against the Cubs, and then lost to the Guardians in the first game of the current series. In recent history, Cleveland has emerged victorious in two of the last nine games they have played against the Royals, with the second and sixth games being particularly noteworthy.

On Thursday, the Guardians improved their season with a 52-51 record and eventually clinched second place in the division. They fall short by just two games as the Twins claimed the coveted first spot. Currently, the Guardians trail the Blue Jays by 5.5 games for the last spot in the American League standings.

After a devastating loss to the Cubs at the Crosstown Classic on Wednesday night, the White Sox saw their season record drop to 3-8 during the All-Star break. The team, which currently stands 41-62 and ranks fourth in the division, is 12.5 games behind the division-leading Twins.

With that in mind, the White Sox will lose again today, but not before a fierce battle.