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Cain's two-run single helps Royals clip Reds
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Royals defeat Reds, 4-3. - photo by MLB.com

CINCINNATI— The Royals completed a four-game season-series sweep of the Reds with a 4-3 victory on Wednesday night to end the two-game Interleague set at Great American Ball Park.

Following a rain-delayed start of 1 hour, 37 minutes, both teams’ starters struggled. Neither Keyvius Sampson of Cincinnati, nor Kansas City’s Jeremy Guthrie reached five innings, but they combined for 206 pitches. Sampson threw 95 pitches as he allowed four earned runs and nine hits over 3 1/3 innings. Guthrie gave up three earned runs and seven hits with 111 pitches over 4 1/3 innings.

“Just struggling with his command, wrestling with his command all night long,” Royals manager Ned Yost said of Guthrie. “The zone seemed really tight, but they were calling pretty much balls for both guys.”

A 2-2 game was snapped with a two-out rally in the Royals’ second inning. Following an Alcides Escobar single, Ben Zobrist hit a ball to left field that went for a double when center fielder Jason Bourgeois threw to the wrong cut off man. Both runners scored on Lorenzo Cain’s go-ahead two-run single to center field. Reliever Luke Hochevar pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings for the victory on Yost’s 61st birthday.

Wade Davis notched the save by working out of jam in the ninth. With runners on first and second and two out, Davis fanned Joey Votto on a 3-2 pitch to end the game. The Royals’ bullpen finished the two-game series giving up a combined three hits across 11 2/3 innings.