Reds at Royals
Cincinnati first baseman Joey Votto isn’t a fan of the designated hitter, but he could fill the role again Wednesday when the Reds face the host Kansas City Royals in the finale of a two-game interleague series. Batting third and serving as the designated hitter Tuesday, Votto delivered a bases-loaded triple in the 10th inning to help the Reds secure a 5-1 victory.
The brief series between a pair of last-place teams opened with a pitchers’ duel as the Reds’ Sal Romano and the Royals’ Ian Kennedy each threw eight strong innings. The Reds forced extra innings when Tucker Barnhart homered off Kelvin Herrera to lead off the ninth inning for Herrera's second blown save in 16 opportunities. Eugenio Suarez added an RBI single in the 10th for the Reds, who are looking to win three straight games for the first time since May 13, when they won four in a row. Kansas City lost for the eighth time in its last 11 games Tuesday while being held to four hits, including a solo homer by rookie Hunter Dozier, and designated hitter Jorge Soler (bruised toe) returned to the lineup for the first time since Friday and went 0-for-4 with a strikeout.
TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, FS Ohio (Cincinnati), FS Kansas City
PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Tyler Mahle (4-6, 4.33 ERA) vs. Royals RH Jason Hammel (2-6, 5.12)
Mahle received a no-decision against Colorado last Thursday, when he allowed three runs (two earned) with six strikeouts across five innings. The 23-year-old native Californian has struggled to pitch deep into games, tossing exactly five innings in five of his 13 starts. Set to make his first career appearance against Kansas City, Mahle has issued a total of 34 hits and 15 walks over his last six starts covering 29 1/3 innings.
Hammel took the loss against Oakland last Thursday after allowing four runs in six innings, but manager Ned Yost was encouraged by the outing. “I thought Hammel threw great. One of the best performances I've seen him throw since we've had him,” Yost told reporters. “Even the pitches he got hurt on, he was really, really good.” Hammel is 4-1 with a 3.42 ERA in 12 career games (11 starts) against Cincinnati, including a 0.75 ERA during an active four-game winning streak.
WALK-OFFS
1. Kansas City OF Jorge Bonifacio, who is finishing an 80-game PED suspension, will begin a minor league rehab assignment Tuesday with Triple-A Omaha.
2. The Reds are 21-28 under interim manager Jim Riggleman.
3. The Royals activated Justin Grimm from the 10-day disabled list and optioned fellow RHP Trevor Oaks to Triple-A Omaha.