Error helps Royals outlast Reds in 13 innings
CINCINNATI -- In a game that turned wild in the late innings, the Royals claimed a 3-1 victory over the Reds in 13 innings on Tuesday when Jarrod Dyson scored on a throwing error by reliever Ryan Mattheus.
It was tied at 1, when Dyson hit a leadoff single. Royals reliever Kris Medlen sacrifice bunted to Mattheus, who sent his throw meant for first base into right field. Dyson rounded the bases and beat the desperation throw to the plate for the go-ahead run. Following Alcides Escobar's single, Ben Zobrist's infield hit drove in an insurance run. Cincinnati has lost its last six games that have gone into extras.
"I was just booking it," Dyson said. "Just in case I'm coming around third and be able to look into the outfield myself. I rounded third and I was able to look in, I figured I had a chance to score. It had to be a perfect throw if I wouldn't have, but that's the chances you take when you're dealing with a ballgame like this type of ballgame going into extra innings. You just got to take chances."
Video: KC@CIN: Zobrist extends lead on infield hit in 13th
Reds starter Raisel Iglesias was impressive again with seven scoreless innings that extended his scoreless streak to 12 innings. Iglesias logged his fourth straight quality start, allowing three hits, a walk and a hit batsman while striking out three. Former Red Edinson Volquez was nearly as good for the Royals, but he gave up one earned run and four hits over six innings -- including Eugenio Suarez's first-inning solo homer -- with three walks and seven strikeouts.
The Royals' bullpen was able to shut the door following Volquez with seven different players contributing to hold the Reds to one hit across the final seven innings. Medlen earned his first win since Sept. 27, 2013.
Video: KC@CIN: Medlen fans two in the 12th, earns win
"Everybody chipped in," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "I mean, we went right down to the last man in [Greg] Holland. Everybody did a great job in coming in and holding the fort until we could score some runs."
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Suarez flexes power again: In the bottom of the first with one out, Suarez pulled a 3-2 Volquez fastball and drove it to the left-field corner for the solo homer. It was Suarez's eighth homer of the season and third this month as the young shortstop continues to impress at the plate.
Video: KC@CIN: Suarez slugs solo shot, gives Reds early lead
Volquez escapes jams: Volquez found himself in a sticky situation after Brayan Pena walked -- which snapped Volquez's streak of 10 straight retired batters -- and Iglesias singled to put runners on first and second with one out in the fifth inning. However, Volquez was able to work out of the jam by getting Billy Hamilton to hit into an inning-ending double play to keep the Royals' deficit at one run. Volquez worked out of another jam the following inning by getting Marlon Byrd to ground out with the bases loaded.
Video: KC@CIN: Volquez gets double play to escape a jam
Hoover cleans up: When reliever J.J. Hoover replaced Iglesias, Kansas City threatened in the eighth as Dyson hit a one-out single followed by pinch-hitter Kendrys Morales' walk that put the go-ahead run on first base. Hoover escaped the jam by getting Escobar to ground to Suarez at short to begin the inning-ending double play.
Zobrist stays hot: After scoring the game-winning run in the 10th inning on Sunday, Zobrist again came through late for the Royals with a game-tying solo shot off Chapman. The home run came on a 2-1, 83-mph slider and was projected by Statcast™ to land 371 feet from home plate. It was Zobrist's fourth homer and 11th RBI in 17 games since being traded to the Royals. More >
Video: KC@CIN: Zobrist drills solo shot to tie it in the 9th
"The big thing for me is I faced him once in Spring Training and I just wanted to get the ball down," Zobrist said. "I got a chance to get a look the first few pitches, which was nice. Just to see it out of the hand a little bit so that helped. You're just trying to get the fastball down and when he leaves something up there that isn't a fastball, it just kind of looked good to hit so I put a swing on it."
REDS WIN KEY CHALLENGES
Chapman was on the ropes with Lorenzo Cain on third base and one out in the ninth when Salvador Perez hit a grounder to second base. Brandon Phillips fired to third baseman Todd Frazier, who threw home to put Cain in a rundown. Catcher Pena threw to Suarez, who went home to Frazier covering by the plate. Cain tried to evade Frazier's tag with a headfirst slide and was ruled safe by home-plate umpire Mark Carlson after he touched the plate. More >
Video: KC@CIN: Cain called out at home after review in 9th
Reds manager Bryan Price immediately challenged. After a review, the call was overturned to preserve the 1-1 tie. The replay official definitively determined that Frazier had successfully tagged Cain on the back as he dove towards the plate.
The Reds won another review in the 11th inning. Escobar tried to turn a routine single into a double to lead off the frame, but Hamilton was able to throw him out at second base. The Royals challenged, but the call on the field was ruled as stands.
Video: KC@CIN: Yost ejected in the 11th after arguing review
Yost was ejected by Carlson after coming onto the field to protest the call.
QUOTABLE
"We just didn't do a whole lot, offensively. We had maybe 10 baserunners in 13 innings. That's just not going to do it. We have to not just take a lead, but be able to create that separation that allows us not to be one mistake away from either tying the game or losing the game." -- Price, on his team notching only one hit over the final seven innings
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Reds closer Aroldis Chapman carried a streak of 56 consecutive saves at Great American Ball Park into the game, but he promptly lost a 1-0 lead when Zobrist led off the ninth with a home run to left field. Chapman's last blown save at home was on Sept. 7, 2012, vs. the Astros. It was also only his second blown save in 26 opportunities this season.
"All I can say is I had a bad day. It was not my day today," Chapman said via translator Tomas Vera. "All I can tell you was it was one pitch, I made that pitch and it stayed in the zone. You saw what happened. He hit it out. One mistake that I committed."
WHAT'S NEXT
Royals: Right-hander Jeremy Guthrie (8-7, 5.63 ERA) will start the finale of this two-game Interleague set on Wednesday at 6:10 p.m. CT. Guthrie is coming off one of his best outings, allowing one run in six innings against the Angels. He is 2-1 with a 3.24 ERA in three career starts vs. the Reds.
Reds: Right-hander Keyvius Sampson (2-1, 3.18) will get the ball on Wednesday at 7:10 p.m. ET for the series finale at Great American Ball Park. Sampson admitted he wasn't sharp during his five innings his last time out against the Dodgers on Friday, but still picked up a 10-3 win.
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