Ruling over the AL Central was fun, but now the Cleveland Guardians are in a 29-game fight to the finish.

The red-hot Kansas City Royals beat the Guardians again last night at Progressive Field by a 6-1 score.

The Royals have wiped out a 9-game deficit since late June and are now tied for first place.

Kansas City got on the board in the second on a two-run homer by Paul DeJong. The Royals rescued him from the Chicago White Sox, who have already lost 101 games.

Cleveland seemed to get a break when Royals started Michael Lorenzen left the game in the second inning. He strained his hamstring while covering first on a double play.

Lane Thomas scored the Guardians’ only run with a single in the fourth to score David Fry.

PRE-RAIN DELAY

Before the bottom of the fifth, the grounds crew brought the tarp onto the field before it started raining.

Maybe the rest of the game will be made up in a doubleheader.

Noooooooooooo!

Fortunately, the teams returned to the field more than two hours later. Unfortunately, the Royals dominated the rest of the game.

They scored three in the seventh on a single by Mikael Garcia, a wild pitch by Scott Barlow, and a single by Michael Massey.

Freddy Fermin singled in another run for Kansas City in the ninth.

BATTLE FOR FIRST PLACE

So today’s game will determine sole possession of first place. Tanner Bibee (10-6) will start for Cleveland against Michael Wacha (11-6).

First pitch is set for 1:10 p.m.