CLEVELAND | Perhaps outfielder David DeJesus can use the boost that interleague competition typically provides to jump-start his disappointing season.</p><p> The Royals open a 15-game stretch tonight against National League opponents when Cincinnati comes to Kauffman Stadium for the first time since 1999. Arizona and St. Louis complete a nine-game homestand before the Royals hit the road for Houston and Pittsburgh.</p><p> DeJesus enters the weekend with a .339 batting average in his 76 career interleague games. That ranks fifth on baseball&rsquo;s all-time list for players with at least 300 plate appearances.</p><p> &ldquo;It&rsquo;s just a case that I&rsquo;ve been going good when we play interleague games,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s no change in mentality. It&rsquo;s the same as always. Get some pitches to hit and find some grass.&rdquo;</p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Flipped in the order</span></strong></p><p> DeJesus also batted leadoff Thursday for the fourth time in five games, manager Trey Hillman conceded, in part because of previous success in that role.</p><p> &ldquo;David got a couple of hits (Wednesday),&rdquo; Hillman said, &ldquo;and I&rsquo;m hoping that gets him going. I don&rsquo;t think it has anything to do with where we hit him &mdash; but with a couple of hits, I&rsquo;ll leave it alone.&rdquo;</p><p> The move shifted center fielder Coco Crisp, who continues to nurse a sore right shoulder, out of the leadoff role for the first time in his 48 starts. He batted second while starting for just the fourth time in 13 games.</p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Interleague opens</span></strong></p><p> The Royals are also hoping for the sort of jump they got last season from interleague games. They were 26-41 before an 11-4 jump in June against NL teams. They finished 13-5 in interleague games. </p><p> &ldquo;I&rsquo;m hoping we can do the same with this long line of interleague games,&rdquo; Hillman said, &ldquo;especially with nine of them being at home where we can utilize the DH. Hopefully, we can get (Mike Jacobs) going again. I think the familiarity might provide him with a little more comfort level.&rdquo;</p><p> Jacobs was benched again Thursday and has just six hits in his last 45 at-bats. </p><p><strong><span class="subhead">The last time</span></strong></p><p> The Reds&rsquo; only previous visit to Kauffman Stadium produced the first doubleheader in interleague history after a power failure at the ballpark forced a postponement of the June 4, 1999, series opener.</p><p> It was downhill for the Royals after that.</p><p> The Reds swept a doubleheader the following day, 9-4 and 7-4 (in 10 innings), before winning 14-3 in the series finale.</p><p> That was the Reds&rsquo; only other visit to Kauffman but not their only previous time in Kansas City.</p><p> The Reds, baseball&rsquo;s oldest professional franchise, were known as the Red Stockings in 1888-89 when they played the Kansas City Cowboys in the American Association. Cincinnati had a 28-10 advantage in those two years, including 9-8 against the Cowboys in KC.</p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Sky Show on tap</span></strong></p><p> Like fireworks? Then tonight is your night. The Royals are promising the second annual Kansas City Sky Show, which follows the game against the Reds at Kauffman Stadium, will be the largest fireworks display in the Midwest.</p><p> This year&rsquo;s show is billed as a tribute to &ldquo;40 years of Royals fans&rdquo; and will include &ldquo;a complete audio-visual experience&rdquo; through inclusion of the CrownVision scoreboard and the new ribbon boards.</p><p> &ldquo;The production for this show is unlike anything anyone has seen before,&rdquo; said Mark Tilson, the club&rsquo;s vice president for sales and marketing. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been blown away by the plans on paper and cannot wait to see the effects come to life for fans in the &lsquo;new&rsquo; Kauffman Stadium.&rdquo;