Royals 4, Blue Jays 2
Alcides Escobar hit a tiebreaking two-run double in the seventh inning as host Kansas City upended Toronto for the second straight night.
Escobar's pivotal hit ended a seven-game RBI drought and made a winner out of reliever Kelvin Herrera (1-1), who escaped trouble in the top half of the inning. Wade Davis worked out of a bases-loaded situation in the eighth by striking out the side while Greg Holland recorded the final three outs for his seventh save.
Edwin Encarnacion went 2-for-4 with an RBI while Chris Getz reached base three times for the Blue Jays, who were only 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position. Drew Hutchison (1-2) surrendered four runs on five hits over seven innings, walking one and striking out five.
Already up 1-0 on Eric Hosmer's sacrifice fly in the first, the Royals extended the lead in the fourth as Omar Infante opened with a single and came around to score on Hosmer's double that caromed off the right-field wall on a hop. Toronto erased the deficit in the sixth with Royals starter Yordano Ventura out of the picture as Encarnacion and Juan Francisco each had a run-scoring single to center.
Toronto threatened in the seventh - putting two runners on with nobody out - but Herrera set down the next three in order to end the threat. The Royals took advantage in the bottom half as Escobar ripped a double into left field to bring home Jimmy Paredes and Salvador Perez.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Ventura tossed five scoreless innings - allowing two hits while walking two and fanning four - but was lifted after throwing 92 pitches. ... Blue Jays OF Melky Cabrera let the game in the sixth inning after taking a pitch off his left leg. Cabrera, who came into the night with a major league-leading 41 hits, finished 0-for-2 - marking just his second hitless game of the season. ... Toronto has dropped seven of nine.