CINCINNATI (AP) — Four hits in one game is nothing new to Ben Zobrist.

Seeing a team mess up an Infield Fly Rule situation? That’s another story.

The Kansas City second baseman watched as the Cincinnati Reds committed a key baserunning gaffe, helping the Royals beat the Reds 4-3 on Wednesday night to complete a two-game sweep.

Royals starter Jeremy Guthrie left in the fifth with the 4-3 lead and the bases loaded and one out. Luke Hochevar (1-0) got Jay Bruce to pop up along the first base line. Bruce was out under the Infield Fly Rule, but Jason Bourgeois tried to score when the ball dropped, and Hochevar threw to catcher Drew Butera, who easily tagged out Bourgeois to end the inning.

“I’ve never seen that before,” said Zobrist, who had four hits for the eighth time in his career. “That was interesting. I didn’t know if they’d send him back to third or what. That was a heads-up play by Butera to make sure.”

Bourgeois reacted to seeing the ball drop, Reds manager Bryan Price said.

“We had some miscommunication on the infield fly,” Price said. “He knows the rule. It was just a reaction. He felt obliged to run.”

No Reds players were available when the clubhouse opened after the game.

Lorenzo Cain had a tiebreaking RBI single in the second inning, as the Royals completed a sweep of the four-game season series. The Royals have won five straight and the Reds have lost five straight.

Ryan Madson and Kelvin Herrera each turned in one scoreless relief inning before Wade Davis pitched the ninth for his 10th save.

Keyvius Sampson (2-2) gave up the four runs and nine hits in 3 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out two in his fourth career start.

Zobrist and Eric Hosmer both had RBI hits in the first inning to extend hitting streaks, Zobrist to six games (13 for 23, .565) and Hosmer to 10 (13 for 38, .342).

Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips tied the score with back-to-back solo homers in the bottom of the inning, Votto’s 22nd and Phillips’ ninth before Zobrist’s double set up Cain’s two-run single.

“He kept the line moving all night long,” manager Ned Yost said of Zobrist. “He set up run-scoring opportunities.”

Eugenio Suarez cut the lead to 4-3 in the third with an RBI double to center field.

Guthrie lasted 4 1/3 innings, allowing seven hits and three runs with three walks, four strikeouts and a wild pitch.

The start of the game was delayed for 1 hour, 37 minutes by rain.

WORTH A LOOK

Salvador Perez’s day off prompted Yost to try a lineup he hadn’t used since his days managing Milwaukee. He batted Guthrie eighth and left fielder Jarron Dyson ninth. “It gives us double leadoff guys,” Yost said. “We wrote it up both ways and this looked better.”

BE YOURSELF

The Reds promoted RHP Sam LeCure from Triple-A Louisville. LeCure spent most of the previous five seasons with Cincinnati, including all of the last three, before surprisingly being cut in spring training. He blamed many of his problems on trying to be somebody he’s not. “I got out of who I was,” he said. “I’m not Aroldis Chapman. Once I got back to who I was, my stuff returned to normal, which is unremarkable but enough to get outs.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: INF Omar Infante was available to play Wednesday after being scratched from Tuesday’s starting lineup with back spasms. Yost said he would try to give Infante one more day off and use him in Boston.

Reds: Phillips left the game after six innings with inflammation in his right biceps tendon.

UP NEXT

Royals: LHP Danny Duffy (6-5, 4.03) starts the first game of Kansas City’s four-game series at Boston’s Fenway Park. The Royals are 8-2 in Duffy’s 10 starts since he came off the DL on June 24.

Reds: LHP John Lamb (0-1, 7.50) is scheduled to make his second career start when the Reds open a four-game series against the Diamondbacks on Thursday.

— Associated Press —

CINCINNATI (AP) — Jarrod Dyson wasn’t even in Kansas City’s original starting lineup Tuesday night.

Dyson, who started after Omar Infante was scratched with back spasms, scored the tie-breaking run from first base on pitcher Ryan Mattheus’ throwing error and the Royals went on to a 3-1, 13-inning victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

“That’s why, every day, you’ve got to show up ready to play,” said Dyson, who went 2 for 5 with a stolen base. “The unexpected can happen, and you’ve got to prepare for it.”

Ben Zobrist tied the game 1-1 with a homer in the ninth inning off Reds closer Aroldis Chapman who had converted 56 consecutive save opportunities at home since blowing one against Houston on Sept. 7, 2012.

“I didn’t do anything different,” Chapman said through assistant trainer-interpreter Tomas Vera. “All I can tell you is I had a bad day. I made a mistake.”

Dyson led off the 13th with a single and scored when Mattheus (1-4) threw a sacrifice bunt by Kris Medlen (1-0) down the right field line.

Greg Holland finished for his 27th save.

Zobrist, who scored the winning run in the 10th inning of Kansas City’s 4-3 win over the Angels on Sunday, stunned the crowd of 28,719 by leading off the ninth with his 10th homer of the season on a 2-1 pitch from Chapman.

“He’s made a pretty big difference,” manager Ned Yost said of Zobrist, acquired from Oakland on July 28. “He’s become a pretty big piece for us.”

Zobrist’s approach was the key, Reds manager Bryan Price said.

“The thing about Zobrist is he knows the strike zone, and he didn’t get behind,” Price said.

Lorenzo Cain followed Zobrist with a single and stole second and third while Eric Hosmer was striking out. Cain was ruled safe on the rundown that started with Salvador Perez’s grounder to second baseman Brandon Phillips, but Cain was ruled out after a replay review that lasted just under 3 1-2 minutes.

Reds starter Raisel Iglesias allowed one runner past second base while scattering three hits and a walk with three strikeouts over seven innings. He extended his streak of consecutive scoreless innings to 12, dating to the first inning of his last start on Aug. 12 in San Diego.

Eugenio Suarez homered off Kansas City right-hander Edison Volquez with one out in the first, giving Cincinnati a 1-0 lead with his eighth home run of the season.

Volquez, who played for the Reds, allowed four hits and one walk with seven strikeouts in six innings.

NO CASE

Yost was ejected for arguing after a replay review upheld the out call on Alcides Escobar with no outs in the 11th. Escobar was thrown out by center fielder Billy Hamilton trying to stretch a single into a double. Hamilton just missed making a diving catch of Escobar’s sinking liner into right-center field.

BUTCHER BOY

Iglesias logged his first career hit in the fifth with Brayan Pena on first and one out. Iglesias, hitless in his first 19 at-bats, squared to bunt, then pulled his bat back and hit a chopper near second. Shortstop Escobar fielded the ball, but with the defense scrambling to cover the possible bunt, Escobar had nobody to throw to at first base.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: Yost scratched Infante from the original starting lineup after he developed back spasms. Zobrist was moved from left field to second base and left fielder Dyson got the start in Infante’s slot. Infante is day-to-day, Yost said.

Reds: Hamilton left the game after the 11th inning with a jammed left shoulder he sustained while trying to make a diving, backhanded catch on Escobar’s sinking liner. He’ll be re-examined Wednesday, Price said.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Jeremy Guthrie (8-7, 5.63) is 4-1 with a 2.30 ERA in eight career interleague starts going into his scheduled appearance on Wednesday at Cincinnati.

Reds: RHP Keyvius Sampson (2-1, 3.18) will take a two-start winning streak into his first career interleague appearance on Wednesday.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Hitting with two outs with runners on base in a key situation doesn’t bother Kendrys Morales. He just focuses on getting a good swing.

Morales had an RBI single with two outs in the 10th inning to lift the Kansas City Royals to a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday night.

Morales leads with the majors with 42 RBI and a .332 average with two outs.

“I feel good in those type of situations and I’m full concentration and I’m looking for a good pitch to hit,” Morales said with coach Pedro Grifol acting as his interpreter. “I was just looking to make hard contact and thank God it turned out OK.”

Ben Zobrist singled with one out in the 10th, the Royals’ first hit since Eric Hosmer’s RBI single in the first inning. After Hosmer walked, Morales singled against Trevor Gott (2-1) as Kansas City improved to 7-2 in extra-inning games.

“He’s really, really smart and he knows what he needs to do to try to get the job done,” Royals manager Ned Yost said of Morales. “He wasn’t trying to do too much, he wasn’t trying to rip a homer, he wasn’t trying to hit a gap. Just staying nice and smooth, take the ball right back up the middle.”

Kelvin Herrera (4-2) pitched a perfect 10th to pick up the victory.

Zobrist reached base 13 times in the series with seven hits and six walks.

Kole Calhoun homered in the eighth off Wade Davis to put the Angels up 3-2.

Los Angeles closer Huston Street, however, couldn’t hold the lead in the ninth. He walked the bases loaded before Alex Rios’ sacrifice fly scored Hosmer to tie the score. Mike Trout then made a diving catch of Paulo Orlando’s scorcher to right-center for the third out to preserve the tie.

The Angels have lost 17 of 23 and this defeat dropped them a half-game behind Baltimore for the second wild-card spot.

“We have to get something going,” Calhoun said. “We have to get a sense of urgency going.”

Hector Santiago gave up two runs and three hits to the first four batters he faced, but not allow a hit after that before departing after seven innings.

Calhoun also tripled in the sixth and scored on a wild pitch before David Murphy homered.

Royals right-hander Yordano Ventura, who was 3-0 in his four previous starts, was pulled after seven innings and 105 pitches, allowing two runs and five hits, while striking out seven and walking one.

Alcides Escobar singled, his 32nd hit to leadoff the game, and scored on Zobrist’s double. Zobrist scored on Hosmer’s single that extended his streak to 10 games with a RBI, the longest in the majors this season.

Royals catcher Salvador Perez was ejected in the seventh for the first time in his career for arguing a called third strike by home plate umpire Quinn Wolcott.

SHOEMAKER DEMOTED

RHP Matt Shoemaker, who set an Angels’ rookie record with 16 wins in 2014, was optioned Sunday to Triple-A Omaha after giving up six runs in 1 2/3 innings in Saturday’s loss to the Royals. “I kind of put myself in this position,” Shoemaker said. “If I pitch better, it’s not an issue. I’ve got to go out there and get better, fix some things and get back here as quick as I can.”

ROYALS ADD VETERAN INSURANCE

Veteran pitchers Jaba Chamberlain and Wandy Rodriguez agreed to minor league contracts with the Royals and will report to their Triple-A Omaha affiliate.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Angels: RHP Cory Rasmus (right forearm strain) and INF Taylor Featherston (upper back strain) were placed on the 15-day disabled list.

Royals: LF Alex Gordon (strained left groin) hopes to begin a rehab assignment next weekend with Triple-A Omaha.

NEXT UP

Angels: LHP Andrew Heaney faces the White Sox on Monday for the second straight start. He allowed two earned runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings Wednesday in a no-decision at Chicago.

Royals: Edinson Volquez, who is 3-0 with a 2.96 ERA in four interleague starts this season, starts the series opener Tuesday at Cincinnati.

— Associated Press —