Former Red India homers as Royals top Reds, 6-2

Jonathan India's leadoff blast sets the tone in Cactus League matchup

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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Jonathan India, the former Cincinnati Reds star now playing for the Kansas City Royals, hit a leadoff home run off Reds pitcher Nick Lodolo in Saturday's Cactus League game. The Royals went on to defeat the Reds 6-2, with India and other ex-Reds like Kevin Newman and Brandon Drury contributing to the win.

Why it matters

The game highlighted the continued development of the Reds' young pitching staff, including a solid outing from Lodolo, as well as the struggles of the Reds' offense against their former teammate India and the Royals.

The details

India's 392-foot home run off Lodolo in the first inning put the Reds in an early hole they couldn't overcome. Lodolo struck out 4 but allowed 6 hits and 2 walks in his 3 innings of work. The Reds' offense was held in check, with Matt McLain, Elly De La Cruz, and Sal Stewart all going hitless. The lone bright spots were Spencer Steer, Dane Myers, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand.

  • The game was played on Saturday, March 8, 2026 in the Cactus League.

The players

Jonathan India

The former Cincinnati Reds star is now playing for the Kansas City Royals and hit a leadoff home run in Saturday's game.

Nick Lodolo

The Cincinnati Reds pitcher started the game and struck out 4 but allowed 6 hits and 2 walks in his 3 innings of work.

Kevin Newman

The former Cincinnati Reds player started at shortstop for the Kansas City Royals and went 2 for 3 with a double and a run scored.

Brandon Drury

The former Cincinnati Reds player started at first base for the Kansas City Royals and went 1 for 4.

Spencer Steer

The Cincinnati Reds player went 2 for 3 with a double and a run scored, one of the few offensive bright spots for the Reds.

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What they’re saying

“Good for Indy, though, who struggled mightily in his first season with KC and is looking for a serious bounce-back campaign in '26.”

— Wick Terrell, Author (yahoo.com)

What’s next

The Reds will host the Arizona Diamondbacks tomorrow at 3:05 PM ET, with Brady Singer on the mound looking to improve upon his first outing of the spring.

The takeaway

This game highlighted the continued development of the Reds' young pitching staff, as well as the challenges the team's offense is facing against former teammates and other talented pitchers in the Cactus League. The Reds will look to bounce back in their next game against the Diamondbacks.