Royals cap sweep of Reds with third straight blowout

Brady Singer tossed six shutout innings as the visiting Kansas City Royals completed a dominating three-game sweep Sunday with an 8-1 rout of the Cincinnati Reds.

Singer (9-8), who snapped a personal two-game skid, was not bothered by a 45-minute rain delay, limiting the Reds to just five singles over his six innings, striking out six and walking one.

Vinnie Pasquantino drove in three for the Royals, who had 41 hits and outscored the Reds 28-3 in the series, their eighth sweep of at least three games this season.

After sweeping the rival St. Louis Cardinals in a three-game series to open the homestand, the Reds could manage only a single run in each of the three losses to the Royals.

Cincinnati starter Andrew Abbott (10-10) was charged with four runs and six hits over five innings.

The left-hander did not have the same luck with the delay, surrendering two runs in the third and two more in the fifth, including a 413-foot homer to center by Dairon Blanco.

The regular ninth-place hitter in the Kansas City lineup, Blanco entered the weekend with just one homer and five RBIs. He belted three homers while driving in eight over the final two games.

With heavy rain quickly soaking the exposed field, umpire crew chief Lance Barksdale ordered out the tarp when Singer lost control of a breaking ball and hit Jeimer Candelario on the back leg leading off the second.

Following the 45-minute rain delay, the Royals broke through in the third when Blanco reached on a bunt single, stole second and scored on a Pasquantino single. Salvador Perez scored another with a sacrifice fly.

The Reds had a golden opportunity to rally in the seventh when Sam Long relieved Singer. The right-hander walked three straight, including Luke Maile on a timer violation. His walk to Jonathan India with the bases loaded made it 4-1.

But Lucas Erceg came on to strike out Elly De La Cruz and Spencer Steer in succession to end the threat.

--Field Level Media