Royals Defeat Reds 7-1, End Streak

The Kansas City Royals defeated the Cincinnati Reds 7-1 in the first game of their interleague series, with Bobby Witt Jr. leading the charge with his 25th homer, a double, and an infield single, raising his batting average to a league-best .352. Michael Lorenzen, recently acquired by the Royals, secured his first win since the trade by pitching 5 2/3 innings, allowing only one run. The victory snapped the Reds' four-game winning streak, which had improved their record to 60-61 and kept them in contention for a playoff spot, though they are still behind the Milwaukee Brewers by nine games. The Reds had hoped to build on their recent success, where they had shown significant power and improved pitching, but fell short against the Royals. Looking ahead, the Reds will continue their series against Kansas City with Michael Wacha set to pitch for the Royals, while the Reds aim to rebound from this loss.