Surprise, Ariz. ? Yordano Ventura worked three scoreless innings, Lorenzo Cain had a pair of RBI singles, and a Kansas City Royals split squad defeated the San Diego Padres, 4-3, Wednesday.

Ventura threw 54 pitches, giving up four singles, walking one and striking out three.

Cain, who was MVP of the American League Championship Series when he hit .533, singled home Gabriel Noriega with hits in the first and fifth innings.

Brandon Morrow, who is competing for the fifth slot in the Padres’ rotation, gave up a run on four hits while striking out four in three innings.

Cameron Maybin doubled and scored on Will Venable’s two-out single in the fifth inning. Cody Decker hit a two-run homer in the eighth.

Royals (ss) 5, Reds 2

Goodyear, Ariz. — Erik Kratz homered off left-hander Tony Cingrani, who is trying to win one of the openings in Cincinnati’s rotation, and the split-squad Royals beat the Reds 5-2.

Cingrani, coming off shoulder problems last season, gave up three hits and a walk in three innings, including Kratz’s solo homer.

Left-hander Paul Maholm started for Cincinnati and allowed one hit in three scoreless innings, strengthening his bid for one of the three opening spots in the rotation. The Royals’ Jorge Bonifacio hit a two-run homer off reliever Sam LeCure in the eighth.

Joey Votto had a sacrifice fly off Joe Blanton, who gave up four hits and a run in three innings. Votto is working back from a thigh injury that sidelined him most of last season.