Blue Jays 4 - 3 Royals
Final
  for this game

Blue Jays hand Royals another home loss

Apr 21, 2012 - 5:57 AM

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Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) - Jose Bautista knocked in the go-ahead run in Toronto's three-run eighth inning, as the Blue Jays kept the Royals winless at Kauffman Stadium with a 4-3 victory in the opener of a four-game series.

Toronto rallied against reliever Greg Holland (0-2) to extend Kansas City's franchise-worst start at home to 0-7. The Royals have dropped eight in a row overall.

J.P. Arencibia went 2-for-3 and drove in two runs for the Blue Jays, who were coming off a 4-5 homestand.

Luis Perez (2-0) pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings to earn the win behind Kyle Drabek, who allowed four hits and six walks over 5 1/3 innings, but limited the Royals to two runs -- one coming on Mike Moustakas' home run.

Kansas City's Luke Hochevar, whose start was pushed back so he could rest a sore ankle, pitched an effective five innings, allowing one run on two hits and two walks while fanning five.

He exited with a 2-1 lead that held up before Holland's forgettable appearance in the eighth. Colby Rasums greeted the reliever with a double and scored on Arencibia's base hit up the middle.

After Yunel Escobar walked, Holland was called for a balk to open up first base, and the Blue Jays opted to intentionally walk Kelly Johnson to face the dangerous Bautista.

The two-time reigning home run champion responded by going the other way with an outside pitch for a single, plating the go-ahead run.

Jose Mijares mercifully relieved Holland and limited the Blue Jays to one more run on Edwin Encarnacion's sacrifice fly.

Francisco Cordero worked around a leadoff walk in the home eighth, but closer Sergio Santos gave up a run in the ninth before closing the door for his second save.

Alcides Escobar doubled with one away and scored on Yuniesky Betancourt's two- out base hit. Chris Getz pinch-ran for Betancourt and stole second to get in scoring position, but Eric Hosmer, who lined into a triple play earlier in the game, grounded out weakly to second to end the game.

In the top of the second, Moustakas robbed Encarnacion of a base hit, and in the bottom half drove a Drabek offering into the bullpen beyond the right- field wall for the game's first run.

A rarity for both teams occurred in the third when Hosmer lined into a triple play. Blue Jays first baseman Adam Lind caught the ball on the fly near his cleats, tagged first base to force out Betancourt, then threw to second to nab Alex Gordon sliding back to the bag.

"It was so fast it was over," Lind said.

It was the first time the Blue Jays turned a triple play since 1979, the same year the Royals last hit into a triple play.

"It was a fastball in right there. I saw it good and put a good swing on it. The result wasn't was I was hoping," Hosmer mused.

Undaunted, Kansas City added a run in the fourth when Jeff Francoeur raced home from third after Arencibia couldn't handle Drabek's 60-foot slider in the dirt.

Arencibia got the run back in the fifth with a base hit in front of center fielder Mitch Maier to bring in Eric Thames from second base.

Game Notes

Before the game, the Royals traded minor league hurler Zach Miner to the Detroit Tigers for cash considerations...Hochevar was selected with the first pick in the 2006 draft, and Drabek was taken 17 picks later...The Royals went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position, stranding nine.






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