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The Cleveland Guardians return home Monday night to host the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field in a pivotal four-game series. Both clubs are chasing the final AL Wild Card spot, with Kansas City (73-70) sitting just ahead of Cleveland (72-70) in the standings. The Guardians are coming off a three-game sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays, while the Royals dropped two of three in Minnesota to close a 4-5 homestand. With Seattle and Texas also in the mix, this matchup could prove decisive. For more on how both teams have fared recently, check the updated MLB game results. Opening odds: Guardians -120 (moneyline), Royals +102, Total 8.0 runs. Kansas City hands the ball to Ryan Bergert (2-1, 2.61 ERA),

The Miami Marlins will try to flip the script when they host the Washington Nationals for a four-game set beginning Monday at loanDepot Park. Miami (66-77) was swept by Washington (58-84) last week, with the Nationals outscoring them 17-7 across three games. Washington enters on a hot streak, having won five of six, capped by Sunday’s ninth-inning rally to beat the Cubs 6-3. Miami, meanwhile, snapped a five-game losing skid with a 5-4 win over Philadelphia but still faces an uphill battle to regain momentum. For a full picture of recent performances, review the latest MLB game results. Opening odds: Marlins -135 (moneyline), Nationals +114, Total 8 runs. Josh Bell is heating up at the right time, delivering a clutch

The Chicago Cubs visit the Atlanta Braves on Monday night at Truist Park, where Atlanta skipper Brian Snitker is chasing career win No. 800. The veteran manager sits at 799 victories, trailing only Bobby Cox and Frank Selee on the Braves’ all-time list. The Cubs (81-62) are battling for playoff positioning in the NL Central but dropped two of three against Washington over the weekend. The Braves (64-79) are out of contention and have lost seven of their last 10, including a lopsided series against Seattle. To see how these clubs have been trending, review the latest MLB game results. Opening odds: Cubs -130 (moneyline), Braves +110, Total 8.5 runs. Chicago hands the ball to lefty Shota Imanaga (9-6, 3.15

The Philadelphia Phillies return home Monday night to open a crucial four-game set against the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park. Philadelphia (83-60) holds a seven-game lead in the NL East over New York (76-67) and has a chance to all but bury the Mets’ division hopes with a strong series. These teams met in late August, when the Mets swept three straight to briefly tighten the race. Since then, however, the Phillies have gone 7-3 while New York has dropped six of its last 10. For a deeper look at how both sides have trended, review the updated MLB game results. Opening odds: Mets -117 (moneyline), Phillies -101, Total 8.5 runs. Rookie Nolan McLean (4-0, 1.37 ERA) continues