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.

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.

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) – Matt Chapman doubled in the go-ahead run in the sixth inning to make a winner of Paul Blackburn in his first start of the season, and the Oakland Athletics beat the Kansas City Royals 4-1 on Thursday night.

Matt Olson hit his 13th home run, Stephen Piscotty singled three times and Marcus Semien added two hits and an RBI to help the A’s to their third win in four games against the Royals over the past seven days.

Blackburn (1-0) was reinstated from the disabled list before the game after missing the first two months of the season with a strained right forearm he suffered late in spring training. The right-hander yielded three hits, including Alcides Escobar’s home run in the third and induced 11 groundouts over six innings.

Kansas City’s Jason Hammel (2-6) matched Blackburn until Oakland broke through for three runs in the sixth.

After Hammel retired Jed Lowrie on a fly ball, Khris Davis singled and moved to second when Olson walked. Chapman then hit a towering fly ball that hit near the top of the wall. Royals center fielder Paulo Orlando appeared to have a good jump on it but got twisted around near the wall before the ball ricocheted off the fence, allowing Davis to score.

Semien and Piscotty followed with back-to-back RBI singles.

Lou Trivino and Yusmeiro Petit retired three batters apiece for Oakland. Blake Treinen pitched the ninth for his 14th save.

Oakland finished with nine hits. In doing so, the A’s avoided becoming the first team since the 1910 Chicago White Sox to go 14 consecutive games at home with seven or fewer.

Hammel allowed four runs on eight hits in six innings against his former club. He struck out six and walked one.

The Royals have lost five straight.

Olson’s home run off Hammel in the fourth extended his hitting streak to a career-high seven games.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: Orlando was recalled from Triple-A Omaha before the game and took the roster spot left vacant when Jon Jay was traded to Arizona in exchange for a pair of minor leaguers Wednesday.

Athletics: Catcher Bruce Maxwell was optioned to Triple-A Nashville. … OF Boog Powell (sprained right knee) was transferred to 60-day disabled list. … RHP Santiago Casilla (shoulder strain) is expected to come off the DL soon.

UP NEXT

RHP Frankie Montas (2-0, 0.64 ERA) pitches for Oakland on Friday night. Montas has allowed one run over 14 innings since being called up from the minors May 27. The Royals counter with RHP Jakob Junis (5-5, 3.62).

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) – Not even an early exit by Shohei Ohtani could stop the Los Angeles Angels from beating Kansas City again.

Justin Upton homered for the third time in four games and the Angels defeated the Royals 4-3 after Ohtani was removed following the fourth inning because of a blister on his pitching hand Wednesday night.

It was the second time this season Ohtani left a game due to a blister on his right middle finger, but Angels manager Mike Scioscia did not believe this one was as bad as the blister that forced Ohtani out after two innings against Boston on April 17.

The two-way rookie star from Japan warmed up to start the fifth, but catcher Martin Maldonado called for a trainer. Scioscia noticed that Ohtani’s slider and splitter were becoming less effective as the game went on and decided to pull him after he gave up one run on four hits and three walks.

“Bottom line is he started to feel it and it was time to get him out,” Scioscia said.

Still, Ohtani showed his immense talent in spite of the blister. After Alex Gordon knocked in a run to give the Royals a 1-0 lead in the fourth, Ohtani struck out Abraham Almonte to end the inning without further damage after loading the bases with a pair of two-out walks.

“He was throwing his fastball 97, 98 mph, with a good slider and a good split. I’d sure hate to see him when he’s at his best,” Royals manager Ned Yost said.

Ohtani, who struck out four, did not get a decision.

But the Angels were still able to pick up their sixth straight win over the Royals. Ian Kinsler hit a two-run homer in the sixth off Scott Barlow (1-1) that landed in the Kansas City bullpen in left field for a 3-1 lead.

Upton added a solo shot in the seventh on a 3-0 count to make it 4-1, and his 14th of the season proved decisive after Gordon’s two-run single in the eighth cut the margin to 4-3.

“In that situation, Scios obviously thought it was a smart move, and I was able to execute,” Upton said. “I’ve been getting some pitches to hit the last few days and I’ve been able to square them up.”

Cam Bedrosian (3-1) got the win after tossing a scoreless sixth inning. Blake Parker earned his fifth save, striking out Alcides Escobar to end it.

Los Angeles can sweep the season series in Kansas City on July 25 in a game that was rescheduled because of snow in April.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Angels: SS Andrelton Simmons was placed on the 10-day disabled list because of a right ankle sprain sustained when he slipped going down the dugout steps prior to Tuesday’s game. Zack Cozart replaced Simmons at shortstop, and Kaleb Cowart started at 3B after being recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake.

JAY TRADED

Kansas City traded OF Jon Jay, who signed a one-year contract with the Royals in March, to Arizona for two minor league pitchers.

The Royals acquired Elvis Luciano, an 18-year old right-hander, and Gabe Speier, a 23-year old left-hander.

Yost did not believe the trade had any impact on how his team played and how it might perform as the season goes on, with the likelihood of more moves to come.

“They know what’s going on. It’s a veteran group,” Yost said. “It’s not like they’re a bunch of chickens in there scared that a hawk is flying around.”

PUJOLS PARKED

Albert Pujols did not play for the second consecutive day to rest his sore left knee, and Scioscia expects him back in the lineup Friday at Minnesota.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Jason Hammel (2-5, 5.17 ERA) will start at Oakland on Thursday. Hammel got the win in each of his last two road starts, allowing one run in 12 1/3 innings.

Angels: RHP Garrett Richards (4-4, 3.25) will try to end a string of consecutive road losses against the Twins. Richards is 0-3 in his last five starts.