Bobby Witt Jr. capped his highly anticipated big league debut with his first hit, a go-ahead double with two outs in the eighth inning, leading the Kansas City Royals to a 3-1 victory over the rechristened Cleveland Guardians yesterday at The K.

Andrew Benintendi drove in Witt after his clutch hit, giving Royals reliever Scott Barlow a cushion. And after a perfect eighth, Barlow struck out Myles Straw with runners on the corners in the ninth to end it.

In the Royals’ eighth, Michael Taylor worked a walk off Triston McKenzie and then took second on Nicky Lopez’s sacrifice bunt. McKenzie struck out Whit Merrifield before Witt roped a double down the left-field line.

Lopez also drove in a run for Kansas City.

Zack Greinke made his first start in a Kansas City uniform since Sept. 30, 2010. Greinke made it through 5 2/3 innings, allowing one run on five hits and a walk while striking out one, then got a standing ovation from the crowd.

UP NEXT
After taking today off, the series resumes tomorrow with Cleveland scheduled to start Zach Plesac against the Royals’ Brad Keller.