Dominating Start 
What a start by our boys! In the top of the 1st inning, Maikel Garcia got things going with a single to center. Shortly after, Bobby Witt Jr. doubled, sending Garcia to third. Then, our power hitter Salvador Perez hit a sacrifice fly, bringing in Garcia to give us the lead. Unfortunately, Hunter Renfroe struck out swinging, but the Royals were off to a solid 1-0 start. 
Blanco Brings the Thunder 
The excitement continued in the 2nd inning when Freddy Fermin doubled to right. Though Garrett Hampson and Paul DeJong couldn’t advance him, Dairon Blanco stepped up and crushed a 408-feet homer, driving in Fermin and extending our lead to 3-0. Blanco's first home run of the game set the tone for this inning. 
An Explosive 3rd Inning 
The 3rd inning was nothing short of spectacular. After Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez singled and Hunter Renfroe walked, Freddy Fermin walked, bringing Pasquantino home. Paul DeJong added to the lead with a single, and then Dairon Blanco unleashed a monumental 405-feet homer, clearing the bases and making it 9-0 Royals. 
Pasquantino added yet another run, capping an incredibly aggressive inning. The Reds were left speechless and we were roaring with excitement!Continuing the Onslaught 
The Royals kept piling it on in the 4th inning. Blanco was a star yet again, with an RBI single, and Garcia brought Hampson home with a sacrifice fly. We were now up 12-0, showing no mercy to the Reds. It was incredible seeing our team fire on all cylinders. Defense, Defense, Defense 
As our offense was dominating, our defense held strong. The Reds couldn’t catch a break through the 4th and 5th innings, with stellar pitching and defensive plays turning their efforts into outs. Kudos to our pitchers for keeping the Reds at bay and maintaining the shutout!Reds Finally on the Scoreboard 
In the 7th inning, the Reds finally managed to score when Jeimer Candelario homered to left. Honestly, by this point, it was too little, too late. Even though they managed to get a few hits, our defense was top-notch, ensuring they didn't build any momentum. Closing It Out 
The last couple of innings were all about maintaining our substantial lead. We saw some strategic relief pitching and good defensive plays. In the 9th inning, the Reds made no headway against our relievers. The game concluded with a solid ground out, securing our emphatic 13-1 victory. 
Final Thoughts 
What an incredible game! From Blanco’s homers to strong collective batting and airtight defense, this was a game we Royals fans won’t forget anytime soon. Let's keep this momentum going into the next series! GO ROYALS! 
Scoreboard for Royals @ Reds (August 17th, 2024)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 3 |
| 1 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 15 | 0 |