CINCINNATI, Oh. (WMDJ) — The Cincinnati Reds erased an early deficit but couldn't hold on late as the Kansas City Royals scored three runs in the ninth inning for a 5-2 victory Wednesday night at Great American Ball Park.

Kansas City struck first in the opening inning when Vinnie Pasquantino launched a two-run home run, giving the Royals a 2-0 lead.

The Reds answered in the fifth. Blake Dunn connected on a two-run homer to left field, scoring Matt McLain and tying the game at 2-2.

Cincinnati starter Chase Burns turned in another strong outing, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out nine over six innings. The Reds bullpen kept the game tied until the ninth.

Kansas City broke through against Tony Santillan in the final frame. Michael Massey delivered the go-ahead RBI single before Nick Loftin followed with a two-run homer to left-center field, extending the lead to 5-2.

The Royals finished with nine hits, while Cincinnati collected eight. Dunn led the Reds offensively with two hits and both RBIs.

With the win, Kansas City claimed the three-game series two games to one.

The Reds are off Thursday before opening a road series against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night. First pitch is scheduled for 8:15 p.m., and as always you can catch the Cincinnati Reds all season long on WMDJ FM 100.1.