Royals rookie Bobby Witt Jr stars in win over Guardians

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Bobby Witt Jr. searched the crowd for his family before his highly anticipated big league debut Thursday, finally spotting them in the sea of Kansas City Royals fans that had bundled up for a blustery opening day.

"I don't know if they were even paying attention to me," Witt admitted later.

Everyone was paying attention to him by the end.

After going hitless in his first three at-bats, Witt roped a double down the left-field line with two outs in the eighth inning, spurring the Royals to a 3-1 victory over the rechristened Cleveland Guardians.

"You couldn't have scripted that any better," Royals manager Mike Matheny said with a grin. "This isn't one he's going to forget, and I probably won't, either."

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Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. is doused with ice by Nicky Lopez, left, and Whit Merrifield, behind, after they beat the Cleveland Guardians in a baseball game, Thursday, April 7, 2022 in Kansas City, Mo.  (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)

In a matchup of former Cy Young Award winners, Cleveland ace Shane Bieber and erstwhile Royals star Zach Greinke dueled to a 1-all stalemate before turning the game over to the bullpens on a cold day at Kauffman Stadium.

It remained tied until the eighth, when the Royals' Michael Taylor worked a walk off Triston McKenzie (0-1) and then took second on Nicky Lopez's sacrifice bunt. McKenzie struck out Whit Merrifield before Witt, regarded by many as the No. 1 prospect in the game, doubled down the left-field line to give Kansas City its first lead.

"I could kind of see it coming a little bit with the way the game was going," said Greinke, who signed a one-year deal