Fresh off Derby, ASG, Witt leads Royals to win to start 2nd half

KANSAS CITY -- Bobby Witt Jr.'s final swing in the Home Run Derby on Monday night produced a fly ball 406 feet to the deepest part of Globe Life Field, hitting the wall and falling inches short of sending the final round into a swing-off to determine the Derby champion.

In his first at-bat back at Kauffman Stadium after the All-Star break, Witt needed just 399 feet to clear the left-field wall for his 17th homer of the season.

A few days late for the Derby, but Witt will take it … because this one catapulted the Royals to a 7-1 win over the White Sox and into the unofficial second half of the season -- one in which Kansas City envisions itself in a playoff race.

There’s not a better person to lead them there than Witt. The Royals' shortstop was 3-for-3 on Friday with a walk, hitting baseballs 104.7 mph (home run), 109.6 mph (RBI single) and 107.9 mph (single).

He didn’t think about the Derby at all while rounding the bases Friday night.

“New game,” Witt said. “Trying to get some runs on the board for the team.”

But everyone else in the stadium did.

“That was the first thing I thought of,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “It was nice to see him, [with] a fastball on the inner part of the plate, turn on it, get us going, get himself going into the second half.”

Witt scored his second run of the game in the Royals’ five-run fifth inning in which they recorded just two hits, taking advantage of four walks (one intentional), a sacrifice bunt, a sacrifice fly and a 91 mph fastball from White Sox starter Chris Flexen that hit the top of Hunter Renfroe’s left hand. The ball cut Renfroe’s knuckles through his batting gloves, but he was able to stay in the game. Michael Massey and Freddy Fermin followed with clutch RBIs.

“We did a good job with [Flexen] as far as making him throw a lot of pitches,” Massey said. “When he was in the zone, we did a good job capitalizing. When he was out of the zone, guys did a good job of getting on base.”

With a nine-game homestand out of the break, the Royals, who play much better at The K and are now 32-18 at home this year, are primed for a strong start to the second half and meaningful baseball down the stretch. They’re just one game out of the third American League Wild Card spot behind the Red Sox.

“We need to continue to preach that one day at a time,” general manager J.J. Picollo said prior to Friday's game. “It’s easy to look at the schedule and see who you’re playing and where there are some opportunities to win games and where there are tougher stretches. But we need to worry about tonight. Then get through tonight and worry about tomorrow. I know we continue to say that, but that’s really how we need to approach this. I think we’re in a great spot to compete. We’ve got to go out and do it.”

The Royals took care of business Friday night with seven strong scoreless innings from Michael Wacha, who only walked one batter while striking out seven. After eight days of rest, Wacha labored to get his command back in the first few innings. Key double plays in the first and third got him out of jams, and he cruised from there, retiring 13 of his final 14 batters.

“It’s important to set the tone for how we expect to play in the second half,” Wacha said. “... We keep doing that in the second half, we can make a little run and have some fun.”

No one is having more fun than Witt right now, and the Royals are the benefactors of it. He didn’t miss a beat after a whirlwind of a week with the All-Star festivities in his home region. He talked with David Ortiz and Derek Jeter, players Witt grew up idolizing.

In Texas, they told him they’re in awe of him.

“It was really special,” Witt said, not before mentioning that Friday’s win capped the week full of fun.

That’s all he cares about.

“He’s a special player,” All-Star pitcher Cole Ragans said. “He’s a superstar. He’s one of the faces of the game of baseball. But he’s just the most down-to-earth guy. He just wants to win and play hard. And that’s what he does. I think it rubs off on all of us. That’s what makes him even more special.”