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Bobby Witt Jr.’s Summer Continues
The Kansas City Royals star started Monday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks with a triple, a double and a home run to move one single shy of his first career cycle into his fourth at-bat.
He fell just short of reaching the milestone after being hit by a pitch on the first pitch of his fourth at-bat, ultimately causing tempers to flare in both dugouts. But that didn’t spoil Witt’s big night, as he led the Royals to a 10-4 victory over the Diamondbacks.
Witt records his fourth consecutive 3-hit game
Witt, who has been on a roll since returning from the All-Star break, led off the game with a triple to the right-field corner. The triple was his 10th of the season, trailing only fellow All-Star Jarren Duran (11) of the Boston Red Sox.
In his next at-bat, Witt led off the third inning with a double and scored on Vinnie Pasquantino’s single to cut Arizona’s lead to 3-2. Then, in the fourth, he shut the door on the Diamondbacks.
With runners on the corners and Kansas City leading 5-3, Witt launched a Miguel Castro fastball over the left-center field wall to extend the Royals’ lead to 8-3, leaving him one single shy of the Royals’ first cycle since George Brett’s in 1990.
The Kansas City home crowd was on its feet in anticipation when Witt took the batter’s box in the sixth inning. The disappointment was immediate.
HBP ruins the possibility of a cycle
Humberto Castellanos threw a high, inside first-pitch sinker that hit Witt on his left elbow.
It didn’t appear intentional. Castellanos immediately crouched on the mound in response to the hit on Witt. But it riled fans and the Royals dugout. Boos rained down from the stands at Kauffman Stadium, and Royals catcher Salvador Perez voiced his displeasure from the steps of the Kansas City dugout.
Witt calmly removed his elbow pad and took first base. He made the Diamondbacks pay again by scoring and extending Kansas City’s lead to 10-3.
Royals reliever John Schrieber retaliated the next inning by hitting Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno.
The Royals retaliated for the Diamondbacks’ hit on Bobby Witt Jr. and umpires warned both dugouts.
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo got HEATY and was ejected, Salvador Perez also had some strong words in the exchange. photo.twitter.com/2m1lr9djfn
– Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) July 23, 2024
This was almost certainly intentional and infuriated Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo. Umpire Jordan Baker warned both dugouts and eventually ejected Lovullo after he continued to protest.
Lovullo: Intention matters
Lovullo explained after the game that he was upset that the Royals responded to an unintentional hit by intentionally throwing out Moreno.
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo explains what led to his ejection, including on-field comments to #Royalty Receiver Salvador Perez.
The ejection came after the Diamondbacks and Royals hit batters with pitches in consecutive innings, one of them with Bobby Witt Jr. close to a cycle. image.twitter.com/dzQW8VWUMn
— Bally Kansas City Sports (@BallySportsKC) July 23, 2024
“If you think in your right mind that I was going to ask our team to hit the future of Major League Baseball, one of the best players in Major League Baseball, you’re crazy,” Lovullo said. “You’ve lost control of this situation and you messed up. That’s exactly what I told Jordan Baker, and I wanted (Perez) to hear it. And I wanted him to take him to his dugout to make sure he understood that that’s how I felt about the situation, and that’s how I feel about Bobby Witt Jr.
“He’s an incredible player and I would never recommend hitting another player… If they felt there was intent, they should have hit Castellanos on the spot. I would have been fine with that. It certainly looked like there was intent on their part and I felt their pitcher should have been ejected on the spot as well.”
After the drama died down, Witt had one more chance to complete the cycle, but was removed in his final at-bat in the eighth inning.
Witt’s lightning start in the second half
While he didn’t get the cycle, Witt did post another sensational stat line. He finished the night 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBIs and three runs scored. It was his fourth straight three-hit game since baseball returned from the All-Star break.
In those four games, he is 12-for-15 with two homers, seven runs scored and six RBIs. The Royals have won all four games to improve to 56-45 and remain in the AL Central and wild-card race.
Witt, a third-year pro, has done all of this since coming off his first All-Star Game in his third MLB season and a Home Run Derby performance that saw him advance to the final round against champion Teoscar Hernandez.
He may not have been able to get a cycle on Monday, but Witt has plenty of reasons to celebrate and there will be plenty more opportunities for the 24-year-old to get his first career cycle.
