Royals 14, Blue Jays 2
TORONTO -- Ben Zobrist hit a two-run homer, Alex Rios added a solo shot, and the Kansas City Royals defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 14-2 Tuesday in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series.
The Royals took a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven set and could clinch a World Series berth on Wednesday at Rogers Centre.
Kansas City scored five runs (four earned) against Toronto right-hander R.A. Dickey in 1 2/3 innings on four hits and two walks.
Dickey (0-1) allowed a home run to second baseman Zobrist in the first inning, then a homer to right fielder Rios in the second.
Kansas City put the game away with a four-run seventh and added three in the eighth and two in the ninth.
The Blue Jays brought in infielder Cliff Pennington to pitch with two outs in the ninth and he allowed a single to right fielder Paulo Orlando and a two-run single by shortstop Alcides Escobar, who had four RBIs.
The ninth ended when Zobrist fouled out to the catcher.
Royals center fielder Lorenzo Cain was 2-for-3 with two walks and three RBIs to extend his team-record postseason hitting streak to 13 games.
Kansas City right-hander Chris Young did not stay around long enough to earn the win.
He was lifted for right-hander Luke Hochevar (1-0) with a 5-2 lead and two outs in the fifth after giving up a single to left fielder Ben Revere.
Hochevar ended the inning on a foulout to first by third baseman Josh Donaldson.
Young allowed two runs, three hits and two walks and struck out four.
The Royals pounced on Dickey for four first-inning runs, two on a home run by Zobrist after Escobar led off with a bunt single.
The knuckleballer walked Cain, who stole second, took third on a single by first baseman Eric Hosmer and scored on a passed ball. A groundout moved Hosmer to third, and he scored on a sacrifice fly by third baseman Mike Moustakas.
Rios' homer with one out in the second increased the lead to 5-0.
Right-hander Liam Hendriks took over with two outs in the second after Dickey hit Escobar with a pitch and walked Cain. Escobar was picked off second to end the inning.
The Blue Jays scored twice in the third. Second baseman Ryan Goins singled, Revere walked and Donaldson hit an RBI ground-rule double. Right fielder Jose Bautista's groundout to second scored the other run.
Hendriks allowed one hit in 4 1/3 scoreless innings before right-hander LaTroy Hawkins took over in the seventh and could not retire a batter.
A leadoff walk to catcher Salvador Perez and singles by left fielder Alex Gordon and Rios loaded the bases before right-hander Ryan Tepera replaced Hawkins. Orlando entered the game as a pinch runner for Rios.
Escobar hit a sacrifice fly to the warning track in center. A wild pitch scored another run, Cain hit an RBI single, and Hosmer hit a sacrifice fly.
Escobar hit his second sacrifice fly of the game in the eighth after the Royals loaded the bases on Tepera. Cain hit a two-run single before Tepera was replaced by right-hander Mark Lowe.
NOTES: The Blue Jays' Game 3 win on Monday ended the Royals' nine-game AL Championship Series winning streak, one short of the record held by the Baltimore Orioles. ... The Royals had 15 hits Monday in a 11-8 loss to Toronto, the second time a team lost in the ALCS with 15 or more hits. The Boston Red Sox had 15 hits in a 19-8 defeat to the New York Yankees in Game 3 of the 2004 ALCS. In postseason history, a team lost with 15 or more hits 10 times. ... First-game loser Marco Estrada (13-8, 3.13 ERA regular season; 1-1, 3.09 postseason) will start Game 5 for the Blue Jays on Wednesday. First-game winner Edinson Volquez (13-9, 3.55 regular season; 1-1, 2.31 postseason) gets the call for Kansas City.