KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Bobby Witt Jr. admitted the pressure was beginning to mount, and time running out, to hit the 30th homer that would make the budding superstar the first Kansas City player to join the 30-30 club.
The Royals did everything they could to take the pressure off him Friday night.
Every batter they sent up against Yankees starter Carlos Rodón scored, resulting in a nine-run first inning that put the game solidly in control. So by the time Witt stepped to the plate in the seventh, with a hit and RBI already behind him, the 23-year-old could swing freely against New York reliever Keynan Middleton for a chance to make history.