Rookie Bobby Witt Jr. belted a three-run homer to highlight a five-run uprising in the seventh inning on Wednesday, lifting the host Kansas City Royals to a 5-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Nicky Lopez’s squeeze play enabled Kyle Isbel to score from third base to forge a 1-1 tie in the seventh. Lopez then scored on MJ Melendez’s RBI single two batters later, as the Royals salvaged a split of their abbreviated two-game series against the Diamondbacks.
Brady Singer (7-4) improved to 3-0 in his last four starts after allowing one run on four hits in seven innings.
Christian Walker and Daulton Varsho each launched a solo homer and Emmanuel Rivera scored on a wild pitch for the Diamondbacks, who have lost four of their last five games.
Arizona’s Zac Gallen scattered three hits over six frames to extend his scoreless innings streak to a career-best 27 1/3. He has yielded just 12 hits during that stretch.
Noe Ramirez (4-4) relieved Gallen and promptly allowed Isbel’s infield single to lead off the seventh inning. Isbel stole second base and advanced to third on a flyout before coming home on Lopez’s bunt in front of the plate.
Melendez gave Kansas City the lead before Witt deposited a 2-2 changeup from Joe Mantiply over the wall in left-center field. The homer was Witt’s 18th of the season and second in as many days.
Rivera scored on a wild pitch by Scott Barlow in the ninth inning and Walker belted his team-leading 30th homer to trim the Royals’ lead to 5-3. Barlow, however, induced Varsho to pop out to end the game.
Varsho snapped a scoreless tie in the fifth inning after sending a 1-2 slider from Singer just inside the right field foul pole. Varsho’s homer was his 17th of the season and first since Aug. 6.
A moment of silence was observed prior to the game in memory of Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Len Dawson, who died at the age of 87. Dawson led the Kansas City Chiefs to victory in Super Bowl IV.
–Field Level Media
