Rookies show veteran poise in KC comebacks

KANSAS CITY — As the Royals got into the dugout to start their half of the eighth inning trailing by two runs, first baseman Eric Hosmer shouted to his teammates, “OK, this is where the magic happens.”

Sure enough, the Royals promptly pushed three runs across and walked away with a 5-4 win over the White Sox on Sunday, their third straight late-inning, come-from-behind triumph.

And while the Royals’ veterans instilled the just-keep-the-line-moving mentality last year, it is amazing how quickly the team’s rookies seem to have adopted it as well.

Rookie Brett Eibner, who had the walk-off hit in Saturday’s win, patiently drew a bases-loaded walk against Nate Jones that forced in the tying run in the eighth on Sunday. Then rookie Cheslor Cuthbert, again with the bases loaded, produced a run-scoring infield hit to put the Royals up.

In each case, neither Eibner nor Cuthbert swung at bad pitches — veteran approaches from rookies.

“These kids, they’re pretty …

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