Lane Thomas hit a first-inning grand slam, Luinder Avila threw five strong innings and the visiting Kansas City Royals posted a 9-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday.

Lane Thomas hit a grand slam in the first inning and Luinder Avila pitched a career-high five innings as the Kansas City Royals snapped a six-game skid with a 9-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night.

The Cincinnati Reds snapped a three-game losing streak on Sunday, defeating the Atlanta Braves 6-4. Now, into June of the 2026 MLB season, Cincinnati is 30-28 and in fifth place in the National League Central.

The Reds announced scheduled starting pitcher Chase Burns was scratched from his start June 1 against the Kansas City Royals because of illness.

Despite four walks, Avila was able to secure his first victory this season. In the sixth inning, the Royals turned to their bullpen to close out the game. KC pitchers John Schreiber, Alex Lange, Mason Black and Eli Morgan allowed an additional run in relief.

The Cincinnati Reds currently hold a 29-28 record and have fallen into last place in the NL Central. Over the last 24 hours, the club lost a series to the Atlanta Braves.

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The Kansas City Royals have been nothing short of terrible recently as the team has crashed in recent outings. After getting swept by the Texas Rangers, the Royals are desperate to find any sort of success when they start a series against the Reds.