KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals can’t catch a break.
Things have gone downhill with a rash of injuries and bad baseball being played on a nightly basis. The Royals are in a rut and are now the owners of Major League Baseball’s worst record: 18-50.
On Wednesday, they squandered another chance at victory. The Reds cruised to a 7-4 victory and swept the Royals in a three-game set for the first time since the 1999 season.
KC collected 15 hits but left 14 men on base. It was the Royals’ ninth straight loss and third straight series sweep. They lost series at Miami and Baltimore before being shut down by the Reds in three games at Kauffman Stadium.
The Reds took advantage of their chances. Cincinnati mashed four home runs, including back-to-back blasts, against Royals starter Daniel Lynch. In the third inning, the Reds sent eight batters to the plate and scored five runs.
It was more than enough offense. Lynch pitched seven innings and allowed seven runs. He issued four walks and struck out three batters.
The Royals found a spark from Edward Olivares. He went 4-for-5 on the night. Meanwhile, Dairon Blanco continued to impress with a double and a triple.
The Royals will welcome the Los Angeles Angels to Kauffman Stadium on Friday night.
Here are more notables from today’s game:
Salvador Perez exits game after hit-by-pitch
Salvador Perez exited Wednesday’s game with a left-hand contusion. In the third inning, Perez was hit by a pitch from Reds starter Ben Lively. The baseball ran in on Perez and hit his hand.
The Royals training staff came out to check on Perez. He left the game and headed to the clubhouse for further evaluation. Maikel Garcia took Perez’s place as KC’s designated hitter.
Perez is hitting .274 this season with 14 home runs and 37 RBIs.
Dairon Blanco puts on show at plate
The Royals added a speed element to their lineup this week. Dairon Blanco was called up from Triple-A Omaha to get an extended look with the major-league club.
On Wednesday, Blanco drove in his first run. He hit a double down the left-field line to score Edward Olivares in the sixth inning.
It was first double of Blanco’s MLB career. In the eighth inning, he hit a triple. It was his fourth hit since his promotion this week.
What’s next: The Royals are off Thursday. Brady Singer will start Friday’s series opener against the Los Angeles Angels at The K.
