How Bobby Witt Jr.’s electric speed helped Royals earn series victory vs. Tigers
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Bobby Witt Jr. hit a two-run inside-the-park homer in 14.13 seconds in the first inning.
- Michael Wacha allowed two hits, struck out six and delivered a quality seven-inning start.
- Royals won 5-1 for 4th win of homestand; Michael Massey hit a three-run, 403-foot homer.
When Kansas City Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. reaches top speed, there’s nothing an opposing team can do to slow him down.
On Saturday, Witt sprinted around the basepaths for an inside-the-park homer against the Detroit Tigers at Kauffman Stadium.
He did it in 14.13 seconds. And if you blinked, there’s a chance you missed it. That’s because it happened in the first inning.
“I was just trying to get in there and hopefully be safe,” Witt said. “Those are the fun ones. Those are the ones where you are out there being a kid and trying to run and see what happens.”
Witt laced a 95.9 mph fastball down the right-field line. The baseball got on Tigers outfielder Kerry Carpenter in a hurry and Carpenter ran into the outfield padding.
As Carpenter recovered, Witt was racing around the bases. He rounded third as the ball was thrown back to the infield. And in signature fashion, Witt slid head-first across home plate as the Royals (19-21) took an early two-run lead.
“I feel like every base I hit, it got a little louder,” Witt said of the crowd’s excitement. “And so, yeah, I just knew that when I was rounding third it got loud. So, I just had to keep going.”
KC would earn a 5-1 victory over the Tigers on Saturday. It was the club’s fourth win on its current homestand.
Witt spearheaded the offense. He recorded the Royals’ first inside-the-park homer since Aug. 14, 2023 — that’s when he hit the first of his major-league career, in a game against the Seattle Mariners.
“I was hoping it was going to hit that spot in the wall and ricochet, because that was going to be fun to watch,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said.
Witt’s electric speed provided ample run support for Royals starter Michael Wacha.
The 34-year-old Wacha allowed just two hits and recorded six strikeouts in seven innings. He walked two but showed sharp command of his pitches — mainly his fastball and changeup — while recording a quality start that lowered his season ERA to 2.63.
There weren’t a lot of whiffs, but Wacha executed on the corners. And that precision resulted in 20 called strikes.
“I felt like we had a good mix going into it and was able to execute our plan,” Wacha said. “Me and (Royals catcher Carter Jensen), you know, we’re working well back there together. ... I felt like the command of kind of everything was there. And you know, the times I did fall behind, I was able to kind of get back into the count and, you know, get some outs.”
The Tigers (18-22) didn’t have many opportunities. Detroit left the bases loaded in the fifth inning before later scoring its lone run in the eighth. Riley Greene hit an RBI double to avoid the shutout.
The Royals recorded six hits. Michael Massey extended the lead with a three-run homer in the fifth inning. He belted a 403-foot blast off Tigers right-handed reliever Ty Madden as Jensen and Jac Caglianone scored.
Massey has a pair of homers and five RBIs so far during this homestand.
“The guys in front of me did a great job getting on base and getting in position to score,” Massey said. “Just trying to get a pitch in the zone and don’t do too much with it. Luckily, it got out.”
KC will go for the series sweep on Sunday night. The Tigers, who entered this series with a depleted starting rotation, will likely put together a second consecutive bullpen game.
What’s next: Royals left-hander Noah Cameron (2-2, 5.40 ERA) will start Sunday’s prime-time finale at Kauffman Stadium. First pitch is set for 6:20 p.m. Central Time, streaming on Peacock. Detroit will open with right-handed reliever Brenan Hanifee on Sunday.
This story was originally published May 9, 2026 at 8:26 PM.
