Both the Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals have their work cut out for them in their divisions, as Clevelandand Chicago have jumped out to sizable respective division leads. Which each team needing to make up ground in their division (five games for the Royals, nine for the Cardinals), the team across the diamond stands in their way.
In addition to each squad's 2016 goals, there is the matter of a cross-state rivalry, one with uneven animus and a denial of importance from one side that rings a bit hollow. Both teams own 39-35 records with a four-game home-road split series ahead of them.