CINCINNATI (Interstat) — The Cincinnati Reds vie for a series split Wednesday night against the Kansas City Royals at Great American Ball Park. First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. under clear skies and 70 degrees. Kansas City (23-37) seeks its third straight win in the series after taking the first two games. The Royals defeated Cincinnati 9-2 on Monday and 3-1 on Tuesday. Right-hander Stephen Kolek (3-1) starts for the Royals. He faces Reds right-hander Chris Paddack (0-7), who is seeking his first win of the season. Royals right fielder Lane Thomas enters as a key batter to watch. Thomas went 3-for-5 with a home run and four RBIs in Monday’s victory. Over his past 10 games, Thomas is batting .292 (7-for-24) with one homer and six RBIs, though he went 0-for-4 in Tuesday’s contest. For Cincinnati, reliever Caleb Ferguson has been effective in recent outings. The left-hander has thrown five scoreless innings across his last three appearances, allowing three hits with six strikeouts. Ferguson worked two innings Monday against Kansas City, giving up two hits with no earned runs. Kansas City’s lineup also features second baseman Michael Massey, who was 3-for-5 with a home run and an RBI in Monday’s series opener. The Reds’ offense was held largely in check during the first two games, scoring a combined three runs. Infielder Matt McLain drove in a run Tuesday, and outfielder JJ Bleday homered Monday. Cincinnati enters with a 30-29 record, while Kansas City has lost eight of its past 11 contests overall. Interstat’s game simulator projects a 5-2 win for the Reds. Cincinnati is a -1.5 favorite, with the over/under set at 9 runs. Following Wednesday’s game, the Royals travel to Minnesota for a four-game series starting Thursday. The Reds visit St. Louis for a three-game set beginning Friday.