Preview, Predictions, Where to Watch (9/14/25)

The Philadelphia Phillies look to complete the sweep this afternoon against the Kansas City Royals at Citizens Bank Park and extend their winning streak to seven games.

It’s been the best of both worlds for Philadelphia this September. They’re 10-2 this month, while divisional rivals New York Mets have dropped eight straight following last week’s sweep. The Phillies now lead the Mets by 13 games in the NL East, effectively locking up the division.

For Philadelphia, the focus has shifted to prepping the rotation for a deep October run. Encouragingly, even the weaker arms have begun to deliver.

Walker Buehler, picked up after his release from Boston, allowed just one run over five innings against Kansas City on Friday. Now, Aaron Nola, the Phillies’ most inconsistent starter this year, gets the ball.

Nola enters with a 4-8 record and 6.24 ERA, but he showed signs of progress with six scoreless innings against the Mets last week. If he can string together another strong start, it would be another sign that the Phillies will be the team to beat this postseason.

On the other side, left-hander Noah Cameron starts for Kansas City. He’s 7-7 with a 3.00 ERA, a season defined by streaks of brilliance followed by stretches of trouble. He’s coming off a quality start against the Guardians, giving up just two runs in seven innings, though he still took the loss due to weak run support.

With the Royals ranking among the bottom three in runs scored, offensive consistency remains their biggest hurdle.

Prediction

The Phillies are simply rolling right now, and even with Nola’s uneven season, their lineup has been relentless, and their staff is stabilizing. Kansas City’s offense is unlikely to provide Cameron with enough backing, especially in a hitter-friendly park against one of baseball’s hottest teams.

Prediction: Phillies 5, Royals 4

Starting Lineups

Kansas City Royals

1. Mike Yastrzemski — CF

2. Bobby Witt Jr. — SS

3. Vinnie Pasquantino — 1B

4. Maikel Garcia — 3B

5. Salvador Perez — DH

6. Michael Massey — LF

7. Jonathan India — 2B

8. Jac Caglianone — RF

9. Carter Jensen — CF

Starting Pitcher: Noah Cameron (LHP) — 7–7, 3.00 ERA

Philadelphia Phillies

1. Harrison Bader — CF

2. Kyle Schwarber — DH

3. Bryce Harper — 1B

4. J.T. Realmuto — C

5. Nick Castellanos — RF

6. Brandon Marsh — LF

7. Otto Kemp — 3B

8. Bryson Stott — SS

9. Weston Wilson — 2B

Starting Pitcher: Aaron Nola (RHP) — 4–8, 6.24 ERA

How to Watch Royals vs. Phillies

First pitch for this afternoon’s game between the Kansas City Royals and Philadelphia Phillies is set for 6:05 PM Eastern at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

The game airs live on NBC Sports Philadelphia and FanDuel Sports Network Kansas City.

Out-of-market viewers can stream the game on MLB.TV.