(Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)
Little will be at stake for either team when the KC Royals begin a three-game visit to the Cubs and Wrigley Field Friday afternoon. Their almost identical and disappointing records—52-68 for Kansas City, 54-69 for Chicago—mean both clubs’ 2021 seasons will end far short of the playoffs.
But don’t look for this Royals and Cubs series to be boring. Its pitching suddenly better, Kansas City just missed sweeping a four-game series with the Astros. Chicago has a new look after dealing away eight players—Kris Bryant, Craig Kimbrel, Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez, Jake Marisnick, Ryan Tepera, Andrew Chafin, and Joc Pederson—before the July 30 trade deadline passed.