Royals 4, Reds 3
CINCINNATI -- Second baseman Ben Zobrist went 4-for-5 with two doubles and an RBI, lifting the first-place Kansas City Royals to a 4-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds in the finale of a two-game interleague series Wednesday night.
The game was delayed one hour and 37 minutes by rain. It was the 14th rain delay this season at Great American Ball Park.
First baseman Joey Votto and second baseman Brandon Phillips hit back-to-back homers in the first inning for Cincinnati, which lost all four meetings with the Royals this season.
Kansas City (73-46) increased its lead in the American League Central to 14 1/2 games over the Minnesota Twins.
The Reds (51-67) had the tying and go-ahead runs on base with two outs in the ninth, but Wade Davis fanned Votto for his 10th save.
Royals starter Jeremy Guthrie's pitch count was at 111 through 4 1/3 innings when he exited with a one-run lead. Guthrie allowed three runs and a pair of homers.
Luke Hochevar (1-0) pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings to earn the victory.
Reds rookie right-hander Keyvius Sampson, making his fourth career start, took the loss.
Following the rain delay, the Royals jumped on Sampson (2-2).
Kansas City went ahead 1-0 when shortstop Alcides Escobar singled and scored on Zobrist's double down the right field line in the first inning. Replays indicated that Zobrist's hit was a few inches foul, but the play was not reviewed.
Zobrist later scored on first baseman Eric Hosmer's single to make the score 2-0.
Cincinnati collected its fifth set of back-to-back homers in the bottom half of the inning.
Votto crushed a 3-2 pitch from Guthrie an estimated 410 feet to center, and Phillips followed with his ninth homer to left field, tying the score 2-2.
The Royals regained the lead when Zobrist doubled for the second straight at-bat and scored on center fielder Lorenzo Cain's two-out, two-run single making the score 4-2.
Sampson allowed four runs and nine hits in 3 1/3 innings.
The fifth inning ended in embarrassing fashion for the Reds.
With the bases loaded and one out, the infield fly rule was invoked on right fielder Jay Bruce's popup. However, Hochevar let the ball drop, and center fielder Jason Bourgeois was tagged out attempting to score from third for an inning-ending double play.
NOTES: Cincinnati CF Billy Hamilton was placed on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday with a sprained shoulder capsule he sustained in the 11th inning Tuesday night when he dived to cut off a single by Kansas City's Alcides Escobar and then threw him out at second base. ... The Reds recalled RHP Sam LeCure and OF Brennan Boesch from Triple-A Louisville, optioned RHP Dylan Axelrod to Triple-A and transferred RHP Nate Adcock to the 60-day disabled list. ... Royals 2B Omar Infante missed his second straight game with back spasms but was available to pinch-hit. ... Salvador Perez, who caught all 13 innings for Kansas City on Tuesday night, was out of the lineup Wednesday. Drew Butera replaced him behind the plate.