Cubs Edge Royals 6-4 in Kansas City Slugfest

The Cubs took care of business at Kauffman Stadium, outlasting the Royals 6-4 in a game that had more offense than a mid-August matchup between these two probably deserved. Chicago's bats showed up when it mattered, scratching across enough runs to keep Kansas City at arm's length despite the home team making things interesting late.

This wasn't a pitching clinic by any stretch. Both bullpens got tested, and while the Royals made their push, they couldn't complete the comeback. The Cubs built enough cushion early to withstand Kansas City's late-inning theatrics, which is exactly what you need to do when you're playing in a ballpark that can give up runs in bunches.

Credit to Chicago for not letting this one slip away. Road wins in the division—even against a Royals squad that's been inconsistent—don't grow on trees. The Cubs got contributions up and down the lineup and did just enough on the mound to secure the W.

DarkHorse didn't publish a pick here, which in hindsight was probably the smart play. These mid-tier matchups can go either way, and trying to predict which offense shows up is a coin flip. The Cubs flipped heads today and move on with two points in the win column.