Rookie Heath Fillmyer pitched into the eighth inning and recorded his first major league hit and RBI as the Kansas City Royals defeated the host Cincinnati Reds 6-1 Wednesday night at Great American Ball Park.

Fillmyer (4-2) allowed one run on four hits and two walks while striking out nine over 7 1/3 innings as the Royals (56-102) completed a two-game sweep of the Reds (66-93). The 24-year-old right-hander also added an RBI double, his first career hit, in just his fourth career at-bat.

Fillmyer retired 11 Reds in a row between the second and fifth innings.

The Royals' legs helped them score their first two runs. Adalberto Mondesi and American League stolen base leader Whit Merrifield swiped two bags apiece as Kansas City built a 2-1 early lead.

Mondesi hit a one-out single in the top of the first, stole second and third and scored on a Salvador Perez double for a 1-0 lead. In the third, Merrifield led off with a single and stole his 40th and 41st bases before scoring on an Alex Gordon single to center.

Hunter Dozier walked, Jorge Bonifacio doubled and Alcides Escobar had an RBI infield single in the top of the fourth for a 3-1 Royals advantage.

Mondesi tripled to lead off the fifth and astutely scored on Gordon's infield groundout to Reds reliever Sal Romano. As soon as Romano threw to first, Mondesi broke for home and slid well ahead of the attempted tag for a 4-1 score.

Kansas City made it 5-1 in the sixth when Fillmyer, who entered 0-for-2 in his career, drove a two-out double over a leaping Reds second baseman Scooter Gennett to score Escobar, who reached on an error by Reds shortstop Jose Peraza.

Gordon's 13th homer of the season made it 6-1 in the top of the seventh.

Reds starter Cody Reed (1-3) yielded three runs on six hits and two walks while striking out two in 3 2/3 innings.

The Reds' lone run came on Peraza's 14th homer of the year, a one-out, solo shot to left in the bottom of the first. Meanwhile, Gennett went 0-for-4, dropping his batting average to .313. Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich leads the National League at .321.

Royals relievers Tim Hill and Jake Newberry combined to record the final five outs to wrap up a five-hitter.

--Field Level Media