untitled-design-79.png
Getty Images

There are moments throughout the summer when a team and a season can start to feel special, and Friday was one of those nights for the Kansas City Royals. The Royals trailed 7-0 in the first inning and were down 8-0 in the fourth inning, yet rallied to walk-off the Seattle Mariners in their series-opener at Kauffman Stadium (KC 10, SEA 9). 

"I don't know, what do y'all think? Pretty fun?" Bobby Witt Jr. said during an on-field interview after the game. "We're just trying to bring back what they did a couple years ago. The fans are showing out, so we gotta show out for them."  

The Royals chipped away and scored four runs in the fourth, three runs in the sixth, and then the final three runs in the ninth. Witt tied the game with a triple and Nelson Velázquez won it by beating out a would-be inning-ending double play after J.P. Crawford bobbled the ball. 

Here's the ninth inning rally that won the game for Kansas City:

"There's really nobody to blame today other than me," Mariners starter Bryce Miller said (via the Seattle Times) after coughing up seven runs in five innings after being staked an 8-0 lead. "I know (Ryne) Stanek gets the [blame for losing it in the ninth] but it's not on him."

Although he surrendered those seven first inning runs Friday, Royals starter Daniel Lynch deserves some credit. He was able to complete four innings and spare the bullpen, and not let the Mariners continue tacking on. Witt had three hits, MJ Melendez went deep, and the Royals went 4-for-10 with runners in scoring position on the night.

Friday's eight-run comeback is Kansas City's largest since Sept. 25, 2022, when they came back from down nine runs against, well, the Mariners at Kauffman Stadium. Seattle led that game 11-2 in the top of the sixth inning, then the Royals put together an 11-run bottom of the sixth to win the game.

Going into Friday's game, teams that took a 7-0 lead in the first inning were 9-256 (.035) all-time, with the last loss coming all the way back in 1995. The Royals snapped a 75-game losing streak for teams that fell behind 7-0 in the first inning.

The win improved the Royals to 38-26. They didn't win their 38th game until Aug. 11 last season. Witt is a superstar and the vibes are great in Kansas City right now. That was true even before Friday's win. What a fun season.

As for the Mariners, Friday's loss dropped them to 36-22 on the season. Still, they remain atop the AL West.