GOODYEAR, Arizona — The Cincinnati Reds (10-15-1) lost to the Kansas City Royals 11-8 in a Cactus League home game at Goodyear Ballpark on Thursday.

Elly De La Cruz missile

All-Star shortstop Elly De La Cruz opened his first-inning at-bat by squaring to bunt. He finished it with an opposite-field, two-run home run on a 2-2 pitch.

It was fourth homer of the spring, but first since Feb. 26.

De La Cruz also drew a five-pitch walk in his next at-bat and singled in the fifth — showing newfound discretion by holding at first when the ball caromed off the glove of the diving shortstop and trickled into center. He then scored from first on Austin Hays’ ensuing double.

Graham Ashcraft: ace reliever?

The day the club announced starter Graham Ashcraft is headed to the bullpen, the big right-hander put on a 1-2-3 clinic against the top of the Royals order in the fifth inning and added a scoreless sixth and an even quicker seventh – facing the minimum during a three-inning appearance.

He threw mostly fastballs, striking out Michael Massey to end the fifth, then after a leadoff walk in the sixth got a fly ball and inning-ending double play to finish his outing. That was his only base runner.

Jose Trevino’s big day

On the day the club announced his two-year contract extension (worth $11.5 million), Reds catcher Jose Trevino made a Gold Glove play on a tapper in front of the plate in the first inning, won a ball-strike challenge for his pitcher and delivered a two-run single in the fourth inning.

He also drove a ball to the wall in left-center in the second.

Dunn keeps raising eyebrows

Young outfielder Blake Dunn hit his third home run of the spring in the ninth inning. It was his sixth extra-base hit of the spring. He singled earlier and is batting .317.

Next up for Cincinnati Reds

The Reds play a split-squad doubleheader Friday at home against the Chicago White Sox at Goodyear Ballpark at 4:05 p.m. (ET) and on the road against the Seattle Mariners at Peoria Sports Complex at 4:10 p.m. (ET).

The home game, with Reds RH Brady Singer pitching against Sox RH Sean Burke, is on WLW-700 radio. Against the Mariners, Reds RH Hunter Greene makes his final start before opening the season on the mound for the Reds Thursday.