Witt Jr., Garcia fueling Royals' recent offensive surge

KANSAS CITY -- Bobby Witt Jr.’s 22nd home run of the season on Monday night had him flying around the bases to get home safely.

After hitting his 23rd on Tuesday night, he simply had to jog.

The young phenom launched a grand slam in the fifth inning, starting a Royals’ rally that extended the game into the 10th inning before they ultimately fell, 10-8, to the Mariners at Kauffman Stadium.

“He’s basically playing like you would in Little League,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “Hitting homers, stealing bases, he’s doing it all right now. That’s the kind of ability he has, but to be able to put it together at this level is really difficult. You can’t take it for granted.”

In terms of the Royals’ record, a disappointing season is winding down. But Witt and the Royals’ lineup have been heating up for the last several weeks and are making games like Tuesday’s that much more exciting. Down 7-0 after the fourth because of four home runs the Mariners launched off starter Jordan Lyles, the Royals crept back with a five-run fifth and three-run ninth to send the game to extras.

“That’s what brings teams closer,” Witt said. “With yesterday’s win, and then today, even coming back to stay in that game, it just brings you together, as well. You got to continue doing that and keep grinding together.”

Crucial mistakes led to the loss, like when pinch-runner Dairon Blanco didn’t slide into third -- despite third-base coach Vance Wilson on the ground signaling a slide -- on Salvador Perez’s game-tying single, causing the Royals’ fastest runner to be thrown out easily from shallow left field.

“My goal was to get there, and I made a mistake,” Blanco said through interpreter Luis Perez. “I feel like it cost the ballgame. I feel terrible.”

Seven runs can be a massive number to overcome, but the Royals were not going to go quietly -- not with the offense that’s clicking right now. Entering Tuesday, Kansas City led the American League with a .299 average and .849 OPS since July 28.

And it has two of the hottest hitters at the top of the lineup fueling the offense.

Leadoff hitter Maikel Garcia extended his Royals rookie hit streak record to 17 games with a 2-for-5 night and came through in the clutch with two outs in the fifth inning with an RBI single that loaded the bases for Witt.

“Every time I’m up now, there’s a runner on base,” Witt said. “Doing what he’s doing, it’s great. He’s going to continue to do that because he’s learning and getting better every day like we all are.”

Then Witt drove a low fastball from Emerson Hancock to the fountains for his second career grand slam. Since the beginning of June, Witt ranks sixth in the Majors with 3.3 wins above replacement (per FanGraphs) and is slashing .321/.364/.548 in that time.

“It looked like a two iron, the ball he hit into the fountains,” said second baseman Michael Massey, who hit a two-run single in the ninth. “It’s incredible to watch.

“He’s one of the best players in the game, and I don’t think that’s a debate anymore.”

The Royals’ shortstop is officially on pace for 30-plus home runs this season, and with 34 steals already, it would make him the first Royal ever with a 30-30 season.

The 31 homers and 46 steals Witt is on pace for is a combination that has been matched only three times in Major League history -- Alex Rodriguez in 1998, Barry Bonds in ‘90 and Eric Davis in 1987.

“Both of those guys at the top of the order, they can both run,” Quatraro said. “They can both put the ball in play and have been recently. And when they get on base, we go.”

The Royals still have several areas of their team to address this offseason, most notably the pitching. But what the 2023 season has shown is that Kansas City might have the left side of its infield and top of its lineup set for the foreseeable future with Witt and Garcia.

“The left side of our infield right now is as secure as it’s been in some time,” general manager J.J. Picollo said Monday. “You can feel the team being more confident, they’re feeding off each other, they’re playing like a team. Situationally, they’re performing better. The defense is rubbing off all over the field. It just feels like a time where the team is starting to come together.”