Jac Caglianone homered and had career highs of five hits and six RBIs and the visiting Kansas City Royals defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 13-2 Thursday night.
Vinnie Pasquantino also homered and had three RBIs, and Carter Jensen added a homer in the rubber match of the three-game series.
George Springer hit a two-run homer for the Blue Jays to snap a streak of 19 scoreless innings by Royals starter Noah Cameron (9-8). The left-hander allowed two runs, six hits and two walks with three strikeouts in six innings.
The Royals took a 2-0 lead in the first against Spencer Arrighetti (7-7). Jensen socked a 1-0 fastball, the second pitch of the game, for his 18th homer. Bobby Witt Jr. and Caglianone singled. Witt raced home from third when Arrighetti was charged with an error when he tried to scoop a squibber by Salvador Perez.
Kansas City bumped the lead to 4-0 in the second. Josh Rojas, recalled from Triple-A Omaha Thursday when Michael Massey was put on the seven-day concussion list, singled. Jensen walked with one out and was forced out at second on Witt’s grounder to third. Witt stole second and Caglianone’s jam shot dropped in right-center for a two-run single.
Arrighetti allowed four runs (three earned), five hits and two walks with four strikeouts in four innings.
The Royals added six runs in the sixth against Simeon Woods Richardson. Rojas walked and scooted home when Kyle Isbel sliced a double that rolled to the wall in left-center. Jensen walked for the third time, Witt hit an RBI double, Caglianone hit a two-run single and Pasquantino hit his ninth homer of the season, a two-run blast to right.
Toronto ended Cameron’s scoreless streak with two outs in the home sixth when Springer hit his 13th homer, a drive that scraped over the center field wall after Alejandro Kirk’s single.
Kansas City scored once in the eighth against Michael Lorenzen, who was signed Thursday. Caglianone doubled and scampered home on Pasquantino’s single.
Toronto center fielder Myles Straw pitched the ninth and allowed Caglianone’s 23rd homer, a two-run shot.