The Kansas City Royals needed a spark — and got one from their shortstop in the most electrifying way possible. In the seventh inning of Thursday night’s Royals vs. Seattle Mariners matchup, Bobby Witt Jr. delivered a game-altering moment that had fans and teammates buzzing.

With two runners on and one out, Witt lined a 98.2 mph sinker into left-center to tie the game at 1, extending his road hitting streak to 23 games — a new Royals franchise record. One pitch later, he stole his 24th base of the season, putting himself in scoring position for what came next.

Vinnie Pasquantino followed with a ground ball single to right. Jonathan India scored to give the club the lead, but the real drama came when Witt rounded third at full speed. The throw from right field reached the plate well ahead of him, and it looked like Seattle had the play sealed. But what followed was a moment of magic — a Witt Jr. slide that defied expectation.

https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1940989507974857144

Pulling his lead hand back mid-slide, Witt twisted his body and reached around with his right hand to tap the back corner of the plate, narrowly avoiding Cal Raleigh’s tag. The play was instantly recognized as one of the most impressive by the Royals shortstop this season.

That run proved to be critical. Dominic Canzone homered in the ninth to cut the lead to one, but the Royals held on for a 3-2 win to split the four-game series at T-Mobile Park. Kansas City, now 41-47, remains in fourth place in the AL Central, trailing the division-leading Detroit Tigers (54-34), as well as the Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Guardians. Despite recent struggles and a 3-7 mark in their last 10 games, this win, and Witt’s heroics, inject new life into the Royals playoff hopes as the All-Star break approaches.

With flashes like these, the Royals continue to show they’re not done yet. If the superstar shortstop keeps making plays like this, the second half of the season could get interesting in a hurry.

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