The rookie catcher's two-run single in the tenth capped a four-run rally as Kansas City beat San Diego 7-6 on Friday night.
The Kansas City Royals needed a night like this, and it took a kid from the neighborhood to deliver it.
Carter Jensen bounced a two-run single through a drawn-in infield in the bottom of the tenth inning Friday, capping a four-run rally that beat the San Diego Padres 7-6 at Kauffman Stadium.
It was the first walk-off hit of the rookie's career, and it snapped a five-game losing streak while giving Kansas City its first walk-off win since May 8.
Jensen grew up about 30 minutes from the ballpark and went to Park Hill High School, so the situation afterward hit home.
"It's surreal," Jensen said on the field, motioning to the crowd. "I used to be sitting up there in the stands. To be a part of this and follow in the footsteps of guys who played before, it means a lot."
The Tenth Inning
The end required surviving a brutal stretch first.
Kansas City took the lead in the eighth on Michael Massey's two-out RBI single, only for Ty France to tie it with a two-out homer in the ninth.
The Royals loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom half against Mason Miller, and the All-Star closer struck out three straight to escape.
San Diego then scored three in the top of the tenth to go up 6-3, which manager Matt Quatraro summed up simply.
"That's a big hill to climb there," Quatraro said.
The Royals climbed it anyway by keeping the line moving.
Salvador Perez singled, Massey drove in a run with his third hit, Nick Loftin dropped a bunt single to load the bases, and Isaac Collins cut the deficit to one with a groundout before Jensen poked his third hit of the night into left field to end it.
The Rookie Keeps Delivering
Jensen later broke down his approach in the lefty-on-lefty matchup against Kyle Hart.
"Honestly, he attacked me a little bit different than I thought," Jensen said. "But at the end of the day, get a strike on you and everything like that, you just battle. Less than two outs, runners on second and third, just get one in. I was able to get two in. It was fun."
Kansas City sits at 39-59 near the bottom of the American League, and the deadline conversation is not going away.
Jensen has been the clearest bright spot in it all, from his franchise-record rookie hitting streak to taking over more of the catching work while Salvador Perez battles through a rough year.
He was already one of the most surprising Royals of the first half, and Friday added the best moment yet.
Lane Thomas started the scoring with a 445-foot homer, Seth Lugo gave the club six solid innings, and the same two teams meet again Saturday afternoon.
