KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Mike Moustakas continued his 180-degree reversal, and the Kansas City Royals' starting pitchers continue to put up zeros.

Moustakas amassed his second consecutive three-hit game, and Jeremy Guthrie picked up his first home victory of the season as the Royals defeated the Cincinnati Reds 7-1 Wednesday night.

The Royals improved to 26-14, the club's best record after 40 games.

Guthrie (4-2) threw six scoreless innings before leaving after 94 pitches. He allowed five hits and two walks while striking out three. Guthrie was 0-2 with a 6.88 ERA in his first three starts at Kauffman Stadium.

The Royals starters have not given up a run in 20 innings over the past three games.

"I didn't have the same command I had a couple of starts ago in Detroit, but I was able to throw the most part where I was planning," Guthrie said. "Some great defensive plays when I fell behind and they hit the ball hard."

The Royals tied a club record with a streak of 24 scoreless innings before reliever Ryan Madson gave up a run in the seventh when second baseman Brandon Phillips (3-for-5) doubled home shortstop Zack Cozart, slicing Kansas City's lead to 5-1.

The Royals also threw 24 consecutive shutout innings June 9-12, 1976.

Guthrie wriggled out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the first when he walked two.

"I dug a little bit of a hole with the walks," Guthrie said. "I never really got that out of whack. I felt like I could come back and get the next guys out."

Reds right-hander Jason Marquis (3-4) lost his third consecutive start, permitting four runs on four hits in 3 2/3 innings, inflating his ERA to 6.91.

"There were a couple of hard-hit balls, some splits that I left up," Marquis said. "I thought I was taking a step in the right direction to try to get out of it. I have to take it one day at a time. It's the only way I know how to do it."

Moustakas was struggling so bad last season that on May 22 he was sent to Triple-A Omaha. The third baseman's three hits Wednesday upped his 2015 average to .342.

"He's made quite a comeback," Royals manager Ned Yost said.

The Royals manufactured the game's first run in the second inning. First baseman Eric Hosmer led off with a double to right, advanced to second on designated hitter Kendrys Morales' groundout and scored on left fielder Alex Gordon's sacrifice fly.

The Royals padded their lead with a three-run fourth and chased Marquis. Moustakas and center fielder Lorenzo Cain opened the inning with singles, and they moved up a Marquis wild pitch. Moustakas scored on a Hosmer fielder's choice when Phillips delayed his throw home.

Morales hit a sacrifice fly and catcher Salvador Perez added an RBI single. Morales ranks second in the American League with 31 RBIs.

Marquis threw 34 pitches in the inning after needing only 30 in the first three innings. It was the second start in a row he failed to pitch beyond 3 2/3 innings.

Reds reliever Ryan Mattheus gave up another run in the fifth but was fortunate it was not more. Right fielder Paulo Orlando was hit by a pitch in to lead off. Shortstop Alcides Escobar and Moustakas singled to load the bases with no outs. Orlando scored when Cain grounded into a double play, making it 5-0.

After Cincinnati got on the board, Kansas City designated hitter Kendrys Morales and left fielder Alex Gordon drove in runs in the eighth off right-hander Raisel Iglesias, the fifth Reds pitcher.

"We have way too much talent to be what we have been offensively," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "It's hard to put a finger on it."

NOTES: Royals backup C Erik Kratz (torn left plantar fascia) will begin a rehab assignment Thursday with Triple-A Omaha. ... When Reds C Bryan Pena struck out in the third inning Tuesday, it was his first strikeout since May 3. It ended a streak of 40 whiff-free plate appearances, which was the longest active run in the majors. ... Royals LHP Jason Vargas (flexor strain) will throw a two-inning simulated game Friday. ... Both the Royals and Reds are idle Thursday, but Friday the two clubs start series for state bragging rights. The Reds play the Indians in Cleveland, while the Royals host the St. Louis Cardinals.