Bobby Witt Jr. and Cole Ragans lead the Royals over the Orioles 1-0 to open an AL Wild Card Series

As Bobby Witt Jr. geared up for his highly awaited playoff debut with the Kansas City Royals, he took a moment to absorb the atmosphere following the final strains of the national anthem at Camden Yards on Tuesday.

The dazzling lights illuminated a cloudy afternoon, while 41,506 enthusiastic fans filled the stands, predominantly cheering for the home team, the Baltimore Orioles, waving orange towels in excitement.

“I thought to myself, ‘This is where you want to be,’” Witt remarked afterward. “This is the moment every player aspires to. This is the essence of being a baseball player. This is what you envision.”

Witt demonstrated why he is regarded as one of the brightest young talents in the sport, delivering the sole run of the game with a single, supporting six outstanding innings from fellow playoff newcomer Cole Ragans. This performance helped the Royals secure a 1-0 victory over the Orioles in Game 1 of their AL Wild Card Series, marking their return to the postseason after a nine-year hiatus.

“It’s quite fitting for him to drive in the run. He and (Salvador Perez) have been the offensive leaders all season,” stated KC’s Michael Massey. “Having him in that crucial moment is exactly what we desire as a team.”

Witt, the 24-year-old shortstop who topped the majors with 211 hits and a .332 batting average this season, hit a ground ball through the infield off a 95 mph cutter on the first pitch from 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes, with two outs in the sixth inning.

Burnes had previously utilized that cutter to retire Witt in his first two at-bats.

“He made some poor swings on it, resulting in weak contact, so it was an effective pitch,” Burnes remarked. “He didn’t make solid contact. It just found a gap, and that was the key difference.”

Maikel Garcia scored after drawing a walk, stealing second base—Burnes allowed a league-high 41 stolen bases this season—and advancing to third on a groundout.

Garcia is another rookie in the postseason, alongside Lucas Erceg, who secured a four-out save, highlighting the emergence of a Royals team that suffered 106 losses last season but improved by 30 wins to return to October for the first time since their 2015 World Series victory.

Witt admitted to feeling some nerves in the ninth inning, while Erceg noted the need to regain his composure after realizing he was deviating from his usual routine on the mound. Nevertheless, these young players from Kansas City appeared remarkably composed under pressure when the stakes were highest.

“Essentially, just be yourself,” Witt stated. “That’s our approach as a team.”

The Royals now have the opportunity to conclude this best-of-three series and progress to the AL Division Series against the New York Yankees by winning Game 2 in Baltimore on Wednesday. Kansas City will send All-Star Seth Lugo to the mound to face Zach Eflin.

Baltimore has suffered nine consecutive losses in postseason play.

Ragans exited after 80 pitches due to cramping in his left calf, with the bullpen taking over for the remainder of the game. The All-Star left-hander performed exceptionally, combining a 98 mph fastball with various off-speed pitches while allowing only four hits and striking out eight batters.

Burnes demonstrated the caliber of an ace that Baltimore anticipated when acquiring him from Milwaukee in February.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde remarked, "He fulfilled his responsibilities."

The American League's All-Star starter for this season departed to a standing ovation after conceding a leadoff single in the ninth inning. He permitted one run, five hits, and a crucial walk to Garcia.

"The walk was detrimental," Burnes stated. "That walk cost us the game."

He became the first starting pitcher to deliver a pitch in the ninth inning of a postseason game since Stephen Strasburg of Washington in Game 6 of the 2019 World Series.

However, Baltimore's power hitters—whose 235 home runs ranked second only to the Yankees—failed to capitalize.

The Orioles advanced a runner to third base in the third inning, but Jordan Westburg's fly ball fell short at the warning track in left field. In the fifth inning, they had runners at the corners, yet Ragans struck out both James McCann and 2023 AL Rookie of the Year Gunnar Henderson.

"It was a significant moment," Ragans commented.

Hyde's perspective? "That was a setback."

In the eighth inning, with two runners on and two outs, Erceg took over for Kris Bubic and induced Anthony Santander to ground into a fielder's choice, prompting thousands of fans to rise to their feet.

"It’s going to be louder. It’s going to be bigger, whatever," Witt noted, whose father played as a pitcher in the major leagues. "But you just have to remember that this is the game I grew up playing and loving."