KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The crowd absolutely ate up the moment before it fully unfolded.
The chants of “BOB-BY! BOB-BY!” started echoing around the ballpark. The volume picked up. The future face of the Kansas City Royals franchise came to the plate with a chance to change the game in the eighth inning.
Bobby Witt Jr., the youngest position player in club history to make his debut on Opening Day, delivered.
Witt swatted a two-out go-ahead RBI double down the left field line and propelled the Royals to a 3-1 win over the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday in front of an announced 28,459 at Kauffman Stadium.
The first hit of what many have already forecast to be an exceptional major-league career came against Guardians reliever Triston McKenzie. Michael A. Taylor, who walked to start the inning, scored the go-ahead run.
Andrew Benintendi drove in Witt for an insurance run.
Scott Barlow pitched the final two innings to earn the win.
