Royals vs Reds Recap: Pasquantino, Loftin power KC to 5-2 win

The Kansas City Royals rolled into Great American Ball Park ready to bounce back. Cincinnati had stolen game two the night before, 4-3, in ten innings. But on Wednesday, the Royals came to work. In the first inning, Vinnie Pasquantino stepped up against Chase Burns and crushed a fastball over the right field wall. Bobby Witt Jr. scored ahead of him. Just like that, Kansas City led 2-0 before Cincinnati even got their bats warm. The Reds' starter Burns threw hard—that fastball came in at 97 miles per hour—but Pasquantino was ready. Stephen Kolek took the mound for Kansas City and immediately showed he belonged. He struck out hitter after hitter, keeping Cincinnati's bats quiet through the early innings. The Royals' pitching was locked in. One swing had given Kansas City all the momentum they needed.

The Reds couldn't let Kansas City run away with this one. In the fifth inning, Blake Dunn stepped to the plate against Kolek. The Royals pitcher fired an 86-mile-per-hour slider, and Dunn connected. The ball sailed toward left field and crashed over the wall. Matt McLain scored right behind him. Just like that, Cincinnati cut the lead to 2-2. The game was a battle now. Both teams wanted this win badly. Kolek kept throwing hard, striking out eight batters over seven innings. He gave up only six hits total. The Reds' Chase Burns matched that intensity. He threw nine strikeouts himself across six innings. Plate after plate, pitch after pitch, neither team gave an inch. Through five innings, the score stayed tied at 2-2. You could feel the tension building. Every at-bat mattered now.

Everything changed in the ninth inning. Tony Santillan took the mound for Cincinnati, but his arm had nothing left. Michael Massey stepped up first and slapped a single to right field. Tolbert scored from third. Suddenly it was 3-2 Royals. Then Nick Loftin launched a fastball deep to left center. The ball exploded off his bat and sailed 381 feet into the stands for a two-run homer. Massey jogged home. Kansas City now led 5-2, and Cincinnati's comeback dreams died right there. The final three outs came quick. Alex Lange closed the door with his strikeouts sharp as daggers. The Royals walked off the field winners, 5-2. It was a complete team effort—great pitching from Kolek and the bullpen, timely hitting from Pasquantino and Loftin, and clutch execution down the stretch. Kansas City improved to 25-38.