Royals Claim Victory Over Blue Jays in Tenth-Inning Showdown

TORONTO, Canada — Kyle Isbel sparked a five-run tenth inning with an RBI double, leading the Kansas City Royals to a 7-4 victory against the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday in the series rubber match.

With Randal Grichuk on second base as the automatic runner, Isbel hit a ground ball down the right-field line off reliever Seranthony Dominguez (2-4). This marked the Blue Jays’ (65-48) first loss in back-to-back series since mid-May.

Royals (56-56) extended their lead with two more runs on a single from Tyler Tolbert that came with the bases loaded. A throwing error by catcher Alejandro Kirk and a sacrifice fly increased the Royals’ advantage to five runs in front of 41,461 fans at Rogers Centre.

Royals reliever Hunter Harvey (1-0) secured the win after a strong ninth inning. Despite the loss, Toronto managed to score two runs in the bottom of the tenth.

Kansas City tied the game for a second time in the eighth inning when Vinnie Pasquantino hit a two-out single off reliever Louis Varland, scoring Bobby Witt Jr.

Blue Jays starter Chris Bassitt held the Royals to one run on one hit with three walks and five strikeouts over six innings. He faced difficulty in the fourth inning, dealing with issues related to his left foot placement on the mound, which led to back-to-back walks and hitting Salvador Perez to load the bases. Mike Yastrzemski‘s sacrifice fly tied the game at 1-1.

Myles Straw drove in Bo Bichette, giving Toronto a 2-1 lead in the second inning, and Joey Loperfido‘s RBI single in the fifth inning extended their lead to 2-1.

Royals starter Seth Lugo pitched 4 2/3 innings after tossing 91 pitches, allowing two runs on four hits and four walks, combined with three strikeouts.

Kirk returned to the Blue Jays lineup after missing seven games due to a concussion.

In a notable play, John Rave of the Royals made a diving catch in the fourth inning, robbing Addison Barger of an extra-base hit.

The Blue Jays also saw newcomer Shane Bieber, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery, make his first rehab appearance with triple-A Buffalo on Sunday. Bieber pitched five innings, yielding two runs on five hits and a walk while striking out six.

Key moments included Isbel breaking up Bassitt’s no-hit bid with a one-out single to center in the fifth that eluded a leaping Ernie Clement.

After a six-hit series, Bichette exited the game as the Major League Baseball hit leader with 138.

Looking ahead, the Blue Jays embark on a six-game road trip starting Monday against the Colorado Rockies, concluding with a weekend series in Los Angeles against the Dodgers. In the series opener, lefty Eric Lauer (6-2) will face Colorado’s Tanner Gordon (2-3).