CINCINNATI — Jonny Gomes hit three-run homers in his first two at-bats for a career-high six RBIs, powering the Cincinnati Reds to an 11-5 win over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday.
Brandon Phillips had three hits, including his eighth homer of the season, to extend his hitting streak to 15 games – Cincinnati's longest of the season and the longest current streak in the majors. The Reds overcame another shaky start by Johnny Cueto to snap a four-game losing streak against Kansas City.
Cueto (6-1), who tied his career high twice by allowing 10 hits in each of his last two outings, shook off a rocky second inning to last six, allowing five runs on five hits and four walks. The right-hander struck out six and retired 11 of the last 12 batters he faced.
Right-hander Brian Bannister (6-4) was pounded for 11 runs — 10 earned — on 10 hits with two walks and two strikeouts while seeing his personal five-start winning streak snapped.
The Reds scored four runs in the first, the first on Phillips' eighth home run of the season and the other three on Gomes' eighth homer of the season.
The Royals bounced right back with five runs in the second, one on Bannister's double to right-center field and three on David DeJesus's bases-loaded double to left field that sailed over Gomes' head after he initially took a step toward the infield.
Gomes gave the Reds a 7-5 lead in the third with his second homer of the game and 12th of his career against the Royals, more than he's hit against any other team. The eighth multihomer game of his career prompted the crowd to cheer for a curtain call.
He was hit by pitches his next two times at the plate, and Royals reliever Dusty Hughes hit pinch-hitters Chris Heisey and Paul Janish with pitches in the seventh.
According to STATS, LLC, the Reds were hit by pitches four times in a game for the first time since Sept. 5, 1965, against Philadelphia.
Phillips singled during Cincinnati's three-run fourth inning. He's hitting .462 (31 for 67) during his hitting streak, including 9 for 14 over his last three games.
Notes
Kansas City C Jason Kendall snapped a 0-for-21 slump with a seventh-inning single. … Bengals coach Marvin Lewis, along with some of his assistants, several players and cheerleaders, the two radio broadcasters and the team mascot were honored in pre-game ceremonies. S Chris Crocker threw two ceremonial first pitches — a football and a baseball. … Reds RHP Edinson Volquez allowed two hits and had three strikeouts in three innings of a rehab start with Class-A Lynchburg, his first since undergoing Tommy John surgery last August. Volquez gave up hits to the first two batters he faced before retiring nine straight.