Bobby Witt Jr. hit a home run on a pitch that was outside the strike zone for the fourth time this season, while Paul DeJong came close to achieving a cycle, as the Kansas City Royals triumphed over the Minnesota Twins with a score of 4-1 on Wednesday, thus preventing a series sweep. Witt’s home run, which marked his 24th of the season, came in the third inning on a full-count fastball from Louie Varland, soaring into the left-center bullpen. Notably, this pitch was recorded at 4.07 feet above the ground, making it the highest home run hit by a Kansas City player since the advent of pitch tracking in 2008, as per MLB Statcast.
DeJong contributed significantly to the Royals’ victory by doubling in the second inning and scoring on a groundout by Kyle Isbel. He followed this with a single in the fourth and a home run in the sixth, marking his 20th home run of the season, a feat he has not achieved since his career-high of 30 with St. Louis in 2019 when he was selected as an All-Star. Meanwhile, Cole Ragans delivered an impressive performance on the mound, striking out eight batters and allowing only one run and five hits over seven innings, securing his third consecutive win as a major leaguer.
Ragans showcased a diverse pitching strategy, utilizing a mix of 20 changeups, 12 knuckle-curves, 11 sliders, and nine cutters, alongside 54 fastballs that averaged 95.3 mph. He successfully retired 13 of the first 15 batters he faced and concluded the game by retiring the last six. Although he allowed a home run to Carlos Santana in the fourth inning, he managed to escape a bases-loaded situation in the fifth. Lucas Erceg closed the game with a solid performance, earning his fifth save in eight opportunities. With this victory, Kansas City (66-55) positioned itself for the third AL wild card berth, while the Twins (67-53) remained in contention for the second wild card spot.
Kansas City next heads to the Queen City to face the Cincinnati Reds in a 3-game series beginning Friday. Michael Lorenzen (5-6, 3.79 ERA) will face Nick Martinez (6-5, 3.16 ERA) for the Reds. Pregame coverage Friday on SuperStar Country 102.5 & 1530 AM beginning at 5:00 p.m. with first pitch from Great American Ball Park at 5:40 p.m.
