Bobby Witt Jr. reaches milestone as Royals earn road victory against Cincinnati Reds

The Kansas City Royals celebrated 816 Day in a special way on Friday night.

The Royals picked up a 7-1 road victory over the Cincinnati Reds in the series opener at Great American Ball Park. KC star Bobby Witt Jr. led the way with his 25th home run in the fourth inning, and Royals starter Michael Lorenzen turned in a solid effort.

Lorenzen (6-6) allowed one run in 5 ⅔ innings against his former team. He surrendered two hits, three walks and struck out three batters to record the victory.

The Royals produced 13 hits in the game. Witt finished 3-for-4 and added a single and double to his ledger. He became the third player in Royals history to have multiple seasons of at least 25 homers and 25 stolen bases.

KC duo Salvador Perez and Adam Frazier added RBI singles. In the ninth, Freddy Fermin hit an RBI double and Vinnie Pasquantino capped a four-run frame with his 18th home run.

The Royals improved to 67-55. KC has won seven of its last eight games in Cincinnati.

The Reds fell to 60-62. Cincinnati starter Nick Martinez suffered his sixth loss after allowing three runs and seven hits in six innings.

Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson hit an RBI double in the sixth inning to account for the lone run allowed by KC.

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Here are more notables from Friday’s game:

Royals bullpen protects late lead

The Royals relied on their bullpen to step up in key situations. In the sixth inning, Royals manager Matt Quatraro turned to left-handed reliever Kris Bubic to face Reds outfielder TJ Friedl.

Bubic was sharp in his role. He struck out Friedl on three pitches to strand a runner at second.

An inning later, Quatraro inserted right-hander James McArthur against Reds pinch-hitter Jake Fraley. McArthur retired Fraley on five pitches with an 84.7 mph curveball that ended another Cincinnati scoring opportunity.

Left-hander Sam Long followed to close out the eighth inning. He struck out Reds superstar Elly De La Cruz with an 86.1 mph slider at the knees.

In the ninth, Royals reliever Carlos Hernandez sealed the win.

Royals get creative for Players Weekend

It’s a special weekend for MLB players. For three days, every player has a chance to add a little creative style to his game.

There is a different theme for each day. On Friday, players got to demonstrate their personalities in a fun way. This included having specialized bats, hats and personalized cleats.

Saturday will be all about charitable causes. Pasquantino will honor Wayside Waifs, a local animal shelter in Kansas City. Other players will show their appreciation for a special cause on Sunday.

“I don’t think we put our thumb down on a whole lot, so I think they get to express themselves pretty regularly, which is great by me,” Quatraro said. “I mean, this is their game and this is their team. They have to do what makes them feel comfortable from a team concept. And I think our guys have really embraced that.”

Next on the KC Royals schedule

The Royals continue their weekend series against the Reds. On Saturday, Royals right-hander Michael Wacha is slated to start at Great American Ball Park.

Wacha is 8-2 in his last 14 starts. He has pitched well against the Reds with a 2.54 ERA in 26 career appearances.

The Reds will start Nick Lodolo on Saturday. He is 9-4 with a 3.99 ERA in 19 starts this season.