The Kansas City Royals arrived at Comerica Park with renewed momentum after finishing a successful 8-2 homestand.

There are a lot of words to describe the Royals’ hot stretch. Refreshing is certainly one that comes to mind. But it’s clear the Royals have more work ahead to earn a postseason berth.

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So maybe there isn’t a particular word to describe the Royals. A phrase might be more appropriate for this situation.

“We want to go out there and set the tone,” Royals reliever Sam Long said ahead of Friday’s game against the Detroit Tigers.

The Royals know what’s at stake this weekend. The club will play the first leg of six upcoming games against the Tigers — all within the next 10 days.

Detroit has owned the American League Central by a wide margin this season. However, the Royals have cut into the deficit in recent weeks. KC sits 9 ½ games back in the AL Central standings with 34 games to play.

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The Tigers have won five of the previous seven games in the series. If the Royals want to bring postseason baseball back to Kansas City, they must win against fellow playoff-bound teams down the stretch.

Hence, the Royals must — in their words — set the tone this weekend.

“We’re going to see these guys a bunch over the next couple of weeks, and they’re obviously meaningful games right now,” Long said. “… That’s what we’re focused on. It’s, you know, punching first and getting off to a lead in this series and just taking it each day at a time.”

The Royals operate with a “today” mantra in the clubhouse. But looking at the big picture, it’s clear the Royals are amid one of their best stretches of 2025.

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Vinnie Pasquantino has ignited a dormant offense since the All-Star Break. New veteran additions have infused more professional at-bats in the lineup. Pasquantino entered Friday’s matchup with a home run in four consecutive games.

“I think it starts with our preparation before the game,” Royals utilityman Nick Loftin said. “You know, top to bottom, it’s been truly special. We’re finally starting to click together, not just from an offensive standpoint, but defensive standpoint. We are all coming together at a pretty critical time as we are making a playoff push.”

The Royals have hit 64 home runs in their last 40 games. It’s the fourth-most in the majors during that span and has coincided with a 27-16 mark since July 1.

Now, the Tigers offer the next big challenge. The Royals have a slim chance of making up ground in the AL Central. However, they can solidify their AL wild-card pursuit with a statement victory in Detroit.

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“You know, we know these guys are in first place and they’ve had a really good season,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “But one game doesn’t change the course of the season. We need to play well as often as we can the rest of the year. That’s our goal every time we come out here.”

The Royals (66-62) also entered Friday just two games behind the Seattle Mariners (68-60) for the third and final AL wild-card spot. The Mariners have lost five consecutive games and welcome the Athletics to T-Mobile Park this weekend.

Opportunity awaits the Royals. In addition to multiple games remaining against the Tigers, the club will play the Mariners in September at Kauffman Stadium.

Each avenue offers the Royals a chance to return to October. Last season, the Royals reached the ALDS against the New York Yankees. It was an experience that stuck with several players.

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This spring, the Royals made it their goal to get back to the postseason. At times, it didn’t seem like the playoffs were in the cards. A disappointing first half included a team meeting and injuries to star pitchers.

Yet, the Royals are still standing in late August. Armed with new veterans and buoyed with talented youth, the Royals have the ammunition to make some noise.

The Tigers are the next challenge this weekend. As Maikel Garcia noted in his well-timed social media post, the Royals hope to prove others wrong.

And it just might land them exactly where they want to be at the end of the season.

“Every series until the end of the year is a huge series,” Royals outfielder Kyle Isbel said. “We just have to keep playing how we are playing. We are playing good baseball.”