Salvador Perez knocked in the go-ahead run with a fifth-inning single Tuesday night as the visiting Kansas City Royals defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 5-3 for their ninth straight victory.
Toronto’s Brett Bateman had three hits in the opener of the three-game series. The Blue Jays have dropped three of their past four.
Kansas City starter Seth Lugo (6-7) allowed one run on six hits and one walk with five strikeouts in five innings.
The game ended when Toronto’s Nathan Lukes was thrown out at second trying to stretch his two-run single off Steven Cruz. Left fielder Isaac Collins got the ball to shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., whose throw to second got Lukes.
The Royals scored once in the first against Max Scherzer (1-7) when Perez grounded into a double play with the bases loaded. The inning started with Carter Jensen hitting a single and Witt and Vinnie Pasquantino drawing walks.
Toronto tied the game in the bottom of the inning on Jesus Sanchez’s sacrifice fly. Bateman and Lukes singled to start the inning before Kazuma Okamoto walked with one out.
The Royals took a 2-1 lead in the fifth. Jensen walked with one out and was forced at second on Witt’s grounder to shortstop. Pasquantino’s single put runners at the corners for Perez, who delivered an RBI base hit to left.
Scherzer allowed two runs on four hits and five walks with four strikeouts in five innings.
Royals second baseman Michael Massey left the game in the fifth inning after falling and hitting his head on the turf while throwing out Lukes at first on a grounder. The Royals reported that the injury did not appear serious.
Kansas City took a 4-1 lead in the sixth. Nick Loftin led off with an infield hit against Braydon Fisher. John Rave’s one-out single put runners at the corners. Mason Fluharty replaced Fisher, and a run scored when first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. threw wildly to first on Kyle Isbel’s bunt, leaving runners at second and third. Jensen followed with a sacrifice fly to center.
Former Blue Jay Nate Pearson pitched around a walk, a double and a hit batter in the eighth.
Kansas City added a run in the ninth against Tyler Rogers. Tyler Tolbert, who replaced Massey, singled, stole second and scored on Rave’s two-out single.