Bobby Witt’s ‘pretty unbelievable’ web gem kept KC Royals ahead ... momentarily
Bobby Witt Jr. said he doesn’t rank his favorite plays. But the one he made in the 10th inning Tuesday against the Texas Rangers will be part of any season highlight reel.
It might have been the team’s top moment in the young season had it occurred one out later.
Instead, Witt’s snare of Nathaniel Lowe’s fly ball in short left field off a dead sprint and slide in the grass momentarily preserved a one-run lead in the 10th inning. The Rangers then delivered a game-tying RBI single by Adolis Garcia and, after a walk, a three-run homer off the bat of Jonah Heim to beat the Royals 8-5.
“I was like a fan on that one, that was pretty unbelievable,” said second baseman Michael Massey, whose 10th inning sacrifice fly gave the Royals the lead. “That being said, when (Lowe) hit it, and knowing what kind of athlete Bobby is and the kind of plays he’s capable of making, I knew he had a chance.”
The remarkable play became simply a web gem in a losing cause.
“Just kind of, go get it, see it into my glove and make a play out of it,” Witt said.
With a runner on third and a one-run lead, the Royals played infielders in. Lowe appeared to place ball perfectly in the triangle between Witt, left fielder Edward Olivares and Nicky Lopez, who had entered the game at third base an inning earlier.
Witt had to cover the entirety of the infield dirt before reaching the outfield. Without the beeline, the ball likely drops.
“That helps, from training in the offseason and a little bit of football background growing up,” Witt said.
The Royals have dropped two straight at Globe Life Stadium, only a few miles from where Witt grew up in Colleyville, Texas. But he’s produced in the series with hits in consecutive games for the first time this season.
Tuesday, Witt’s third-inning single to right off starter Jacob deGrom scored Kyle Isbel, who had led off the inning with a hustle double.
But the Royals fell for the third straight game, twice after losing a late lead. In the series finale at San Francisco on Sunday they led 1-0 before the Giants scored three in the eighth.
Tuesday, the Royals trailed the Rangers and deGrom, the two-time NL Cy Young Award winner, 4-2 after seven before scoring single runs in the eighth, ninth and 10th to take a lead for the first time in the game.
“It kind of shows you what this team is made of, always going to fight,” Witt said.
This story was originally published April 12, 2023 at 9:47 AM.