His glove suspended in the air, Royals starter Ian Kennedy pointed toward his center fielder, acknowledgment of a play that had preserved a clean outing. As teammate Abraham Almonte reached the dugout, Kennedy approached him once more, ensuring his message of gratitude had been received.
Kennedy benefited from the defensive help early Tuesday.
He could’ve used the same from his bullpen.
Kennedy turned in his best start of 2018, but the Reds washed it away with a 5-1 comeback win after getting to Royals closer Kelvin Herrera in the ninth and reliever Kevin McCarthy in the 10th.