The Detroit Tigers host the first place Kansas City Royals for a 1 p.m. ET matinee on Thursday. Check out the live stream link provided as these A.L. Central rivals battle for the top spot in the division. 

Surprisingly, though the Tigers possess one of the more potent lineups in baseball, they are currently in third place, but just half a game behind the Royals. At 10-9, the Tigers are off to a horrid start. With a mixture of lack of consistent pitching and hitting, the Tigers have fallen from being a dominant force in the division. 

As for the Royals, they are young and persistent as they have managed to remain relevant as the first month of baseball is soon to wrap up. At 10-8, though it lacks to impress, they have the best record in the division. They have some of the best young hitters in the league, but today, both sides will be matched by some of the league's best pitching.

It will be ace against ace as the Tigers will have their main man Justin Verlander go up against the Royals pitching leader, James Shield. 

So far, in 2013, both guys have pitched well. Shields has a 1-2 record but just a 3.00 ERA. Last Saturday, he held the emotional Boston Red Sox to just one run through six innings pitched while striking out eight. As for Verlander, they are making a big deal about his loss of velocity, but it's pretty cold in Detroit, so chances are we could see the righty let it fly later in the year. He is 2-2 with a 2.13 ERA. In his last outing he also pitched solid baseball going seven innings against the Seattle Mariners, however, he gave up two earned runs, which were enough for him to earn the loss. 

Click here for the live stream of the Tiger vs. Royals as they close out their series.