The Kansas City Royals scored in each of the first five innings, scoring 13 runs, more than enough for the American League club to defeat the Cincinnati Reds in a 13-1 game.

The Royals didn’t waste much time getting going. Maikel Garcia opened the game with a single to center. Cincinnati then decided, for some reason, to throw the ball to Bobby Witt Jr., but it didn’t pay off for them as he hit a double off the wall in center, moving Garcia to third base. Salvador Perez then hit a sacrifice fly to give Kansas City a 1-0 lead.

In the bottom half of the inning, Jonathan India hit a single to first, but he was doubled out when Elly De La Cruz hit a line drive to right field and India went too far off base and couldn’t get back to first base in time.

The Royals got back to work in the bottom of the 2nd inning when Freddy Fermin hit a double to start the inning and then scored on a 2-out, 2-run home run to center off Dairon Blanco.

Nick Lodolo’s problems continued in the third inning. He allowed two consecutive singles to start the inning and then walked Hunter Renfroe for a run after taking a 0-2 lead. The Reds left-hander then walked Freddy Fermin for a run and Cincinnati was down 4-0. After a flat fly ball to left that didn’t score a run, Paul DeJong singled to make it 5-0. That ended Lodolo’s day, and manager David Bell went to the mound to bring in Buck Farmer with the bases loaded and one out. Three pitches later, Dairon Blanco hit a baseball into the seats and hit a grand slam to make it 9-0. The Royals scored another run on a Vinnie Pasquantino double to make it 10-0 before the Reds had even sent 10 batters to the plate.

Sam Moll pitched the 4th inning for the Reds and allowed two runs. Tony Santillan pitched the 5th inning and allowed an unearned run, but that made the score 13-0.

Kansas City failed to score in either the 6th or 7th innings, which seemed like a miracle. The Reds finally scored in the 7th inning when Jeimer Candelario hit his 20th home run of the season to make the game 13-1. That was the last run of the game, and the Royals took the day’s win and the series win, with a chance to win the series on Sunday afternoon.

Key moment of the game

Whatever happened in the 3rd inning, when the Royals scored seven runs.

Noteworthy information

About 20 minutes before the game began, the Cincinnati Reds announced that All-Star pitcher Hunter Greene had been placed on the injured list due to soreness in his right elbow.

Since returning from the injured list on July 9 (bubble), Nick Lodolo has started eight times and allowed 33 runs in 40.2 innings (7.30 ERA).

Luke Maile pitched a shutout in the 9th inning.

Next up for the Cincinnati Reds

Kansas City Royals vs. Cincinnati Reds

Sunday, August 17, 1:40 p.m. ET

Brady Singer (8-8, 3.32 ERA) vs. Andrew Abbott (10-9, 3.59 ERA)