Royals Review · Dec 2, 2024
Could baseball experiment with a “Golden At-Bat”?
In Game 5 of the series-deciding ALDS against the Yankees, the Royals had their backs up against the wall in the seventh inning. Down 3-1, Tommy Pham smacked a two-out single to give the Royals some hope at a comeback against a tiring Gerrit Cole. Unfortunately they had their #8 hitter, Kyle Isbel due up, with few bench options. The Royals were hoping at the very least he could extend the hitter to turn the lineup over and eventually get star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. to the plate. Instead, Isbel hit a long flyout to end the threat, and Bobby would bat with no one on base in the eighth inning. The Royals would go on to lose the game and the series.