KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Tyler Mahle allowed three hits while pitching into the seventh, Adam Duvall hit a ninth-inning grand slam and the Cincinnati Reds beat the skidding Kansas City Royals 7-0 on Wednesday night.

Mahle (5-6) allowed only one runner to touch second base in 6 1/3 innings, matching his career longest start. He is 2-0 in June, allowing two earned runs and 14 hits in 16 1/3 innings.

The Royals have lost nine of 10 and have dropped 23 of 33 home games. They have scored 11 runs in their last eight games and 23 in 12 June games.

Kansas City is hitting .147 this month with runners in scoring position, including 1 for 25 in the past six games.

Duvall greeted rookie reliever Jason Adam with his second grand slam in two weeks, driving a 2-2 pitch over the left-center wall.

Royals starter Jason Hammel (2-7) allowed three runs on seven hits over 7 1/3 innings.

Alex Gordon, a five-time American League Gold Glove winner, made two defensive gems in the sixth inning. Curt Casali singled off the left-field bullpen fence and tried to stretch it into a double. Gordon threw him out from the warning track for his fifth outfield assist this season and the 85th of his career.

Two pitches later, Gordon made a diving head-first catch of Billy Hamilton’s liner to rob him of a hit.

Salvador Perez and Hunter Dozier grounded into double plays to end the first two Royals innings.

Mahle retired 12 of the next 13 batters he faced after Gordon walked in the second inning.

The Royals did not have a runner touch second base until Whit Merrifield doubled with two out in the sixth. Mike Moustakas flied out to center to end the inning.

STREAKING REDS

Scooter Gennett had two singles, extending his hitting streak to 10 games. … Jose Peraza has reached base in 15 consecutive games. … Reliever Jared Hughes, who pitched a scoreless inning, has not allowed a run in 15 straight appearances.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: 1B Lucas Duda (right foot plantar fasciitis) is doing on-the-field activity. Manager Ned Yost said he is hopeful Duda will go out on a minor league rehab assignment this weekend.

UP NEXT

Reds: They are off Thursday before RHP Matt Harvey will start Friday in Pittsburgh.

Royals: After an off-day Thursday, the Royals will open a three-game home series Friday with the Houston Astros. RHP Jakob Junis will be the KC starter for the opener.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Joey Votto hit a bases-loaded triple in the 10th inning after Billy Hamilton slipped out of a rundown, and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Kansas City Royals 5-1 on Tuesday night.

Hamilton got hung up between third and home when pitcher Kevin McCarthy (4-3) tipped Tyler Barnhart’s line drive with his glove. McCarthy picked up the ball behind the mound and threw home, and Hamilton looked done until he sidestepped Alcides Escobar’s tag and dived back safely into third base to leave the bases loaded with one out.

Votto then tripled on a 2-1 count to the right-center wall, and Eugenio Suarez singled home Votto.

Dave Hernandez (2-0) hit a batter and struck out two.

The Reds tied it in the ninth on Barnhart’s homer to lead off the inning. Barnhart drove a 2-2 pitch by Kelvin Herrera over the right-field fence into in the Royals’ bullpen.

It was Herrera’s second blown save in 16 opportunities.

After Barnhart’s home run, Herrera walked Votto for his first walk of the season in his 27th relief appearance. He also walked Jesse Winker with two outs before retiring Adam Duvall on a groundball to end the inning.

Ian Kennedy, who has won one of his last 27 home starts, pitched eight scoreless innings, allowing three singles. He was removed after 104 pitches and the Royals holding a 1-0 lead.

In his previous two Kauffman Stadium starts, Kennedy had a 13.00 ERA, giving up 13 runs in losses to Tampa Bay and Oakland.

Kennedy retired 12 straight after navigating his way out of a bases-loaded jam to end the second.

The Reds loaded the bases in the second inning on Scooter Gennett’s leadoff single and walks by Suarez and Duvall. Kennedy got out of that jam when Jose Peraza flied out to center fielder Abraham Almonte, who threw out Gennett attempting to score.

Hunter Dozier led off the fifth with a 425-foot homer to left on a 2-2 pitch by Sal Romano.

That was the only hiccup for Romano. He allowed only three singles outside of Dozier’s home run in eight innings.

The Royals have dropped eight of nine and have lost 22 of 32 home games.

SPELLING LESSON

The Kaufman Stadium scoreboard spelled the opposing team as “Cincinatti.”

ROSTER MOVES

Royals: RHP Justin Grimm (low back stiffness) was recalled from his minor league injury rehab with Triple-A Omaha and activated. The Royals optioned rookie RHP Trevor Oaks to the Storm Chasers. OF Jorge Bonifacio, who is finishing an 80-game suspension, will begin a minor league rehab assignment Tuesday with Omaha. Major League Baseball suspended Bonifacio for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Reds: RHP Homer Bailey (right knee inflammation) allowed five runs on six hits in three innings in a rehab start Sunday for Triple-A Louisville. All the runs scored in the fifth when Bailey allowed two doubles and a triple. “I talked to (Louisville bench coach) Dick Schofield and he basically said the first two innings looked good and then he got hit hard,” Reds interim manager Jim Riggleman said. “That’s kind of about summed it up. I think his knee felt good. I don’t know what he was trying to do. There’s been some talk of maybe trying to change some things up with his delivery. I don’t know if he even did that. That could play into it, too.”

Royals: Jorge Soler (bruised left big toe) returned to the lineup for the first time since Friday.

UP NEXT

Reds: RHP Tyler Mahle has allowed two earned runs over 10 innings in his first two June starts, going 1-0.

Royals: RHP Jason Hammel is 2-1 with a 2.59 ERA in his past four starts.

— Associated Press —

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Marcus Semien didn’t have much time to think after making a diving stop on Salvador Perez’s sharp grounder in the eighth inning. With Kansas City’s Whit Merrifield off third base and breaking for home, the Oakland shortstop had no one choice but to throw to the plate.

It worked out perfectly for both Semien and the A’s.

Matt Chapman homered leading off the bottom of the eighth, moments after Semien’s defensive gem cut down the go-ahead run, and the A’s beat the Royals 3-2 on Sunday.

“Just reaction,” Semien said. “I had a tough grip. I had my whole palm on the ball so I just tried to throw it as hard as I could from there. Merrifield’s pretty quick so you got to get the transfer and the throw there as quick as you can. That was good.”

Oakland manager Bob Melvin called it one of the best plays of Semien’s career. Closer Blake Treinen, who was on the mound and had a perfect view, termed it `incredible.’

Merrifield doubled off A’s starter Sean Manaea and advanced to third on Mike Moustakas’ groundout. Treinen replaced Manaea and got Perez to hit a grounder that Semien made a diving stop on, and threw to home while still on his knees to nail a sliding Merrifield.

“Chapman made a great swing but that swing doesn’t get us the win if Marcus doesn’t make that play,” Treinen said. “We were trying to call a sinker there because (Perez) swung through a good one down the pitch before. High percentage groundball/swing-and-miss pitch and he put a pretty good swing on it. Marcus made a better play.”

Melvin agreed.

“That’s a really good runner at third going on contact,” Melvin said. “To dive like that, get up and have to throw it off balance on the money like that, no legs underneath him . game-winner.”

Stephen Piscotty and Jonathan Lucroy both drove in runs for the A’s, who squandered numerous scoring chances before Chapman came through with a solo home run off Royals reliever Jason Adam (0-1).

Treinen (3-1) retired five batters to win following a strong start Manaea. Winless since May 14, Manaea allowed six hits and two runs over 7 1/3 innings and had six strikeouts with no walks.

Perez hit his 11th home run for the Royals, who have lost seven of eight.

Kansas City’s offensive funk continued, although Moustakas gave his ballclub a jolt in the first inning when he laid down a bunt to beat Oakland’s defensive shift. But Moustakas was stranded at second, one of four runners the Royals left in scoring position.

“He practices it and his mindset is he’s going to beat the shift,” Kansas City manager Ned Yost said. “If guys can do it, managers are going to have to make adjustments.”

Alex Gordon doubled off Treinen with one out in the ninth and moved to third on a groundout before Drew Butera fouled out to Lucroy to end the game.

WHO NEEDS A GLOVE?

A fan sitting in the second deck behind home plate caught two foul balls on consecutive pitches, both of them bare-handed.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: RF Jorge Soler was held out of the starting lineup for a second straight day after fouling a pitch off his foot Friday, although Yost noted Soler is feeling better.

Athletics: Opening day starter Kendall Graveman continues to rehab in Arizona but Melvin doesn’t expect the right-hander back any time soon. … 2B Jed Lowrie was given the day off. Chad Pinder started in place of Lowrie. … Jake Smolinski was called up from Triple-A Nashville before the game. RHP Chris Bassitt was optioned to Triple-A Nashville.

UP NEXT

Royals: Following a day off Monday, Kansas City returns home to host the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday. RHP Ian Kennedy (1-6, 5.76 ERA) takes the hill for the Royals seeking to end an 11-start winless stretch.

Athletics: RHP Daniel Mengden (5-4, 2.85) faces the Astros on Tuesday. Two of Mengden’s four losses this season have come against Houston.

— Associated Press —

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Danny Duffy can blow away hitters with a mid-90s fastball.

He’s learning that his softer stuff can be just as effective.

Duffy pitched seven innings of three-hit ball, and the Kansas City Royals snapped a six-game skid with a 2-0 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Saturday.

Duffy (3-6) struck out a season-high 10 and walked three.

Royals catcher Salvador Perez noticed early his team’s ace had a devastating changeup, and he wasn’t shy about calling it — even in fastball counts.

“Salvy called a fantastic game and certain times revealed themselves where we went back-to-back-to-back-to-back changeups,” Duffy said.

“You don’t do that very often when you throw in the mid-90s, but it was enough to keep people off balance today.”

Chris Bassitt (0-1) also allowed three hits in seven innings in his first appearance since undergoing Tommy John surgery on May 6, 2016. He struck out six and walked one, allowing one run — on Paulo Orlando’s RBI single in the second inning.

Orlando’s hit snapped a 0-for-14 stretch.

The Royals scored again in the ninth on Alex Gordon’s home run — his fifth — off Yusmeiro Petit.

Kevin McCarthy pitched the eighth and Kelvin Herrera worked a scoreless ninth to complete the four-hitter and earn his 14th save in 15 opportunities.

With the Royals’ offense sputtering, manager Ned Yost shuffled the lineup, moving Gordon into the cleanup spot, Mike Moustakas from third to second and Perez from cleanup to third in the batting order. Gordon’s homer was the only hit by the trio.

Moustakas played his 900th career game for the team — becoming the 13th player in Royals history to reach that plateau — and started at first base for the first time.

Bassitt was called up from Triple-A Nashville for a spot start in place of Trevor Cahill, who is out with an Achilles injury. He didn’t arrive in Oakland until late Friday night.

Bassitt is the seventh starter the A’s have sent to the mound in as many days and the 11th different starter they’ve used this season.

He lost his seventh straight decision dating to April 28, 2016. His last win was on Aug. 4, 2015, against Baltimore.

The 29-year-old acknowledged he’s had doubts about his baseball future.

“There was some dark days,” Bassitt said. “Even this year there was some dark days.”

The Royals beat Oakland for the second time in six tries this season.

LEFT OUT

The A’s are 8-14 against left-handed pitchers this season. They’re 25-18 vs. righties.

SPLIT DECISION

Yost challenged two calls on the same play in the top of the fourth. With Alcides Escobar at second with two outs, Orlando hit a grounder to A’s shortstop Marcus Semien, who threw wide to first. Escobar tried to score from second on the play. First base umpire Bill Welke ruled that first baseman Matt Olson had applied a swipe tag on Orlando, and home plate umpire Tony Randazzo ruled that catcher Josh Phegley tagged out Escobar. The play at first was overturned and the play at home was upheld after a replay review that lasted 3 minutes, 37 seconds.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: RF Jorge Soler was out of the lineup with a bruised left toe, Yost said. Soler left Friday’s game after fouling a ball off his foot. X-rays taken Friday night were negative.

Athletics: LHP Ryan Buchter (strained left shoulder) is with Single-A Stockton. He threw 20 pitches to hitters on Friday night and reported no discomfort, manager Bob Melvin said. … Nick Martini was optioned to Triple-A Nashville to make room on the roster for Bassitt. … OF Boog Powell (right knee strain) has worked out at the A’s extended spring training facility in Arizona and is expected to start a rehab assignment soon, Melvin said.

UP NEXT

A’s LHP Sean Manaea (5-6, 3.59 ERA) is 1-4 with a 6.63 ERA in his last seven starts. He hopes to get back on track in Sunday’s series finale. RHP Brad Keller (1-2, 2.12 ERA) will make his third start since moving into the rotation.

— Associated Press —