Cleveland Guardians vs. Kansas City Royals September 9th Full Preview

Cleveland looks to keep pace in the playoff push with a divisional foe.

Sep 3, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Cleveland Guardians pitcher Joey Cantillo (54) walks to the bull pen before the start of the game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Slade Cecconi's dominant start in last night’s win over the Kansas City Royals pushed Cleveland back ahead of the Crowns in the AL Wild Card chase. Entering Tuesday’s play, the Guardians sit just 2.5 games back of the final Wild Card spot in the junior circuit, though it feels more like 3.5 due to the Mariners’ tiebreaker advantage.

Tuesday’s contest features two starting pitchers who have worked themselves into integral roles for their clubs during the push for October. Joey Cantillo began the 2025 season in mop-up duty, but a 3.85 ERA out of the bullpen, paired with his masterful use of offspeed pitches and other starters’ inconsistencies, earned him a spot in the rotation. Cantillo took some time to settle in, but he has allowed just one earned run in three of his last four starts.

For Kansas City, injuries to Cole Ragans and regression from Seth Lugo have catapulted rookie Noah Cameron into the Royals’ top spot. The bifocaled former seventh-round pick is enjoying a strong first season, keeping Kansas City afloat in the playoff race for much of the summer. Cameron has waned off since the summer ended but has an encouraging past with the Guardians.

The Guardians have faced Cameron only once, where he allowed just three baserunners and no runs. While José Ramírez and Steven Kwan both notched hits, the rookie masterfully neutralized Ángel Martínez, one of Cleveland’s best weapons against left-handed pitching.

The storyline of the night for the Royals is that of the continued absence/return of Bobby Witt Jr. Witt, a perennial MVP candidate, is hitting .294 with 21 home runs and 34 stolen bases but has not played since September 5th.

First pitch is set for 6:40 at Progressive Field. The Guardians are 5–4 in Cantillo’s starts since the All-Star break, while the Royals are 7–4 when Cameron has taken the mound in that span. Kansas City, however, has dropped three of his last four outings. The Guardians are currently hitting .222 vs left handed pitching this season. 

GUARDIANS LINEUP: LF Steven Kwan, CF Angel Martinez, 3B Jose Ramirez, DH David Fry, 1B Jhonkensey Noel, RF Nolan Jones, SS Brayan Rocchio, C Austin Hedges, SP Joey Cantillo

ROYALS LINEUP: 3B Maikel Garcia, SS Bobby Witt Jr., 1B Vinnie Pasquantino, C Salvador Perez, LF Randal Grichuk, RF Jac Caglianone, DH Jonathan India, 2B Nick Loftin, CF Kyle Isbel, SP Noah Cameron