Monday’s Royals-Diamondbacks game featured fireworks and retaliation.
Stepping to the plate in the bottom of the sixth inning just a single away from the cycle in the Royals’ 10-4 win, Kansas City superstar Bobby Witt Jr. was hit on the hand with a 92-mph sinker on the first pitch of his at-bat in a 9-3 game, infuriating the home fans and veteran catcher Salvador Perez.
Witt, who would come around to score that inning, calmly walked to first base, but irate fans littered the stadium with boos directed toward Diamondbacks pitcher Humberto Castellanos.
Tempers really flared, though, in the seventh inning when Royals pitcher John Schreiber nailed catcher Gabriel Moreno with a 92-mph sinker of his own in a 10-3 game.
Moreno angrily threw his bat but ran to first base, seemingly understanding why he had been hit.
“Knew that was coming,” Royals announcer Denny Matthews said on the telecast.
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo ran onto the field as the umpires came together to meet about what just happened, with both sides being warned.
As Lovullo unloaded on the managers, which earned him an ejection, Perez screamed toward the manager.
Both of their outbursts stemmed from Witt being hit.
Perez alleged there was intent behind the pitch.
“I don’t like the way it looks, honest to you guys,” Perez said, according to MLB.com. “Three-for-three, trying to get a hit for the cycle. …
“I’m going to have Junior’s back.”
Luvullo, however, claimed his anger stemmed from the umpires believing his team had actually gone after Witt and he wanted to make sure Perez knew.
“What I said was: ‘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, per MLB.com. “And you’ve lost control of this situation. And you got it wrong. That’s what I said to [home-plate umpire] Jordan Baker, and I wanted Salvy to hear that. I wanted him to take it back to their dugout and make sure that he understood that that’s how I felt. And that’s how I feel about Bobby Witt Jr. He’s an unbelievable player.”
After the game, Perez doused the Royals star Witt with a Gatorade shower to celebrate the budding star’s incredible effort on the night and spanning his last several games.
There’s been no Home Run Derby hangover for Witt, as the Royals star has been a man on a mission in 14 at-bats since the All-Star Break.
Witt has picked up 12 hits, hasn’t struck out and has swung and missed at just one pitch.
After the game, Witt shouted out a fan who he says predicted before the game that he would hit for the cycle, a feat that he did not end up completing in part due to the hit by pitch.
Witt flied out to right in his final at-bat of the game.
