Cincinnati, OH (Sports Network) - Yuniesky Betancourt capped off his three-hit night with an RBI single in the top of the 11th, as the Kansas City Royals edged the Cincinnati Reds, 6-5, in the opener of a three-game interleague series at Great American Ball Park.
Betancourt hit a two-run homer, drove in four runs, and scored twice for the Royals, who improved to 2-2 on a six-game road trip. Scott Podsednik and Jason Kendall each knocked in a run for the victors.
Victor Marte (1-0) tossed a scoreless 10th to pick up his first win in the majors. Joakim Soria recorded his 15th save of the year despite giving up two hits in the 11th.
Jay Bruce hit a solo homer, scored twice, and knocked in two runs for the Reds, who had won four of six coming into Friday's game. Scott Rolen went 4- for-6 with an RBI, while Drew Stubbs and Corky Miller each drove in a run in defeat.
Cincinnati failed to score after putting its first two men on base in the 10th. Marte gave up consecutive singles to Rolen and Jonny Gomes. Marte, though, settled down and got Bruce to foul out, Stubbs to go down looking, and pinch-hitter Miguel Cairo to ground into a fielder's choice.
The Reds sent Micah Owings (3-2) to the mound in the top of the 11th. Billy Butler and Brayan Pena worked one-out walks. After Alberto Callaspo flied out, Betancourt laced a single to center. Stubbs made a great throw from the outfield, but Joey Votto cut off the throw for some reason. He was able to get Pena out in a rundown. However, Betancourt scored prior to Pena being out for a 6-5 lead.
Soria put runners on the corners with one out in the home half, but retired Votto on a foul out and Rolen on a liner to end the game.
Trailing 4-0, Kansas City plated three runs in the fifth. Jose Guillen and Callaspo started things with consecutive singles. Betancourt then hit an RBI double to left. Chris Getz grounded into a fielder's choice and pinch-hitter Wilson Betemit walked to load the bases. Podsednik followed with a run-scoring single to center. Kendall brought in another run when he grounded into a fielder's choice.
Betancourt's two-run homer to left in the sixth put the Royals in front 5-4.
Cincinnati, though, tied the contest in the eighth. Blake Wood gave up singles to Rolen and Brandon Phillips and walked Votto to load the bases with nobody out. After Gomes fouled out, Bruce hit a sacrifice fly to center. Wood got Stubbs to ground out to keep it a 5-5 game.
The Reds had a great chance to win the game in the ninth. Kanekoa Texeira started the inning on the mound for Kansas City and gave up a leadoff single to pinch-hitter Laynce Nix, who moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and advanced to third on Orlando Cabrera's groundout. Phillips walked to put men on the corners. Dusty Hughes came in from the bullpen and got Votto to fly out to send the contest into extras.
The Reds got on the board with a run in the first. Cabrera singled, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, advanced to third on Votto's groundout, and scored on Rolen's infield single.
Cincinnati added two more runs in the second to build a 3-0 lead. Bruce doubled and came around to score on Stubbs' base hit up the middle. Miller followed with an RBI single of his own.
Bruce's solo homer to right-center field in the fourth gave the Reds a four- run margin.
Cincinnati is 7-8 all-time versus Kansas City and 85-106 overall in interleague play, while the Royals swept the Reds in three games at home from June 12-14 of last season. Kansas City sports a 109-124 ledger against the National League...Phillips extended his hitting streak to 14 games...Kansas City starter Luke Hochevar went four frames, allowing four runs on six hits...Reds starter Bronson Arroyo gave up five runs on six hits in seven innings...The Royals signed outfielders Cameron Conner, Clifford Sandford and Timothy Ferguson, pitcher Charles Byrne and shortstop Michael Liberto...The Reds went 5-for-15 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11.