Royals history in making for Witt (40 SBs), Jensen (24 HRs)

BOSTON -- The Royals chose a historic ballpark to add to their own franchise records on Saturday afternoon.

Bobby Witt Jr. and Carter Jensen stayed productive offensively and carved their names into notable status among single-season successes in a 5-1 series-evening loss to the Red Sox at Fenway Park.

Witt began his day by beating out an infield hit before he stole second base for his 40th bag of the season. The All-Star shortstop, who reached that number for the second time in his career (49 in 2023), is one of just five players in franchise history with multiple 40 stolen-base campaigns.

With 13 games remaining in the regular season, Witt is just two homers shy of the third 20 HR/40 SB season in franchise history. His 2023 campaign (30/49) and Carlos Beltran’s 2003 performance (26/41) are the only two to date.

“It's incredible,” Jensen said of Witt. “Not just on the basepaths, but everything he does. The way he plays defense. The way he hits. The way he goes about his business, just the type of player he is, the type of teammate he is. It's all top of the list, and he's incredible to be around, so it's been a lot of fun watching.”

“He's always had the speed, but I'm really proud of him for increasing his percentage over the years,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “I think he's gotten much better at his jumps, his breaks, his leads and all those things. It’s become more of a science to him as opposed to just the natural skill. It’s really cool to see.”

Jensen put on a show in Friday night’s 3-2 series-opening win and kept his bat scorching hot on Saturday. The rookie catcher knotted the score at 1, when he poked a Ranger Suarez slider around the Pesky Pole for his 24th homer of the season. That long ball tied him with Bob Hamelin (1994) for the most by a Royals rookie.

“It's been special, just the professional at-bats he's been taking and just how he's coming into his own,” Witt said of Jensen. “Being able to do that is special and then, hopefully, break the record here.”

“That's a phenomenal record,” Quatraro said. “We know that he's been on a tear here offensively as of late, so good for him. And it was not only that, but it tied the game.”

Beyond the franchise history, Jensen is doing real damage at a ridiculous rate. The sixth-inning homer marked his 12th straight hit for extra bases. Among the records that tally falls into is breaking a tie with Yankees star Aaron Judge (2017) for the most consecutive extra-base hits by a rookie in the Expansion Era (1961).

The best way to describe the red-hot stretch for the Royals’ backstop?

“He’s swinging the [expletive] out of it,” starting pitcher Randy Dobnak said. “He can do it pretty well. He’s been doing it all year. This month he has four or five pumps? He’s swinging it pretty well.”

In addition to mainstays Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez, the Royals’ lineup should get another boost to close out the season as Jac Caglianone returned to game action for the first time in a week after suffering a flexor strain in his left elbow against the Blue Jays. The lefty slugger pinch-hit in the eighth inning and struck out against Red Sox setup man Garrett Whitlock.