Samad Taylor’s 1st MLB hit is a walk-off winner in Kansas City Royals’ furious comeback

Samad Taylor ended his MLB debut in style.

The Kansas City Royals outfielder drove home the winning run in Saturday’s 10-9 victory over the Los Angeles Angels ... not only on his MLB debut, but for his first major league hit and RBI.

Taylor hit a game-winning single that drove home Maikel Garcia from third base. Taylor also helped the Royals snap a historic 10-game losing streak.

“You can’t even put this moment in words,” Taylor said. “Growing up as a young’n, chasing my dreams, this is nothing you dream of. First hit was a walk-off hit. You never dream of that, and I am lost for words.”

His father, among several family members in attendance, also struggled to put it into words.

As the ninth inning unfolded, Taylor knew the game would rest on his shoulders. Maikel Garcia had singled and advanced to third base with the game tied 9-9. Taylor stood in the batter’s box with a chance to win it.

And he needed a deep breath.

“Walking up, I kind of blacked out for a second,” Taylor said. “I got back to it. First pitch went by, and I had to call timeout. Crowd was loud, and it kind of sped it up a little.”

Taylor locked in at the plate. He was looking for a changeup from Angels reliever Chris Devenski. He got it and drilled a line drive into center field. The ball landed on the warning track as Garcia raced home.

The Royals celebrated in unison. Taylor also received the baseball thanks to Bobby Witt Jr. racing into the outfield to retrieve it.

“It’s so special to see someone doing that,” Witt said. “It’s incredible to see how he carried himself throughout the entire game. That moment came down to (his at-bat). It’s crazy how baseball works like that sometimes.”

Taylor finished 1 for 3 on the afternoon. He recorded two walks and became the second Royals player to have a walk-off hit in his MLB debut.

Missed the start of the series?

Game 1: Royals shut out in 3-0 loss to Angels

Trade Winds: Which Royals could be dealt at the MLB trade deadline?

Here are more notables from Saturday’s game:

Royal ending to a comeback win

The Royals found some offense on Saturday afternoon. KC broke out of its scoring funk after being shut out in the series opener.

MJ Melendez hit his sixth home run in the third inning. The blast snapped a 12-inning scoreless drought. Meanwhile, Bobby Witt Jr. collected four RBIs. In the eighth inning, Witt recorded a two-run single to complete a six-run comeback.

KC trailed 8-2 in the middle of the seventh.

The Angels also tagged the Royals pitchers in the victory. Royals starter Mike Mayers allowed six runs in five innings of work.

Mike Trout hit an RBI single in the ninth inning. He drove home Andrew Velazquez as the Angels pulled ahead late. KC also couldn’t contain Shohei Ohtani. The former MVP hit his 23rd home run in the seventh inning.

The Royals wouldn’t be denied.

Maikel Garcia tied the game again in the ninth inning. He set the stage for the bottom half, as Taylor drove him home to complete the victory.

“These guys are competing every night and every pitch,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “They are proud of what they do and they are putting in a lot of work. To see it come out like that, in a game were they could’ve folded up, is really special.”

MJ Melendez blasts sixth home run

The Royals needed an offensive spark after 12 scoreless innings against the Los Angeles Angels this series. In the fourth inning on Saturday, MJ Melendez snapped the scoring drought with a two-run homer off Angels starter Griffin Canning.

Melendez hit an 88.2 mph slider over the center-field wall. The blast traveled 422 feet and had a 102.4 mph exit velocity.

It was his sixth home run of the season.

The homer came at a crucial time. The Royals tied the game after trailing 2-0 early. Melendez drove home Salvador Perez, who began the inning with a single.

What’s next: The Royals conclude their weekend series against the Los Angeles Angels. Zack Greinke is set to start Sunday’s finale against Tyler Anderson.