Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Devon Travis fields a ball hit by Kansas City Royals’ Mike Moustakas during the sixth inning of a baseball game at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., Saturday, July 11, 2015. Moustakas was out at first base on the play. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)
Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Mark Buehrle pitched seven strong innings, Edwin Encarnacion hit a two-run homer and the Toronto Blue Jays beat Kansas City 6-2 Saturday to snap the Royals’ six-game winning streak.
Buehrle (10-5) limited the Royals to two runs and five hits while improving to 4-0 with a 1.24 ERA in his past four starts against them.
Encarnacion’s 18th home run in the fourth inning off Chris Young ended the Blue Jays’ 27-inning scoring drought.
Toronto led 3-2 in the ninth when Danny Valencia hit a three-run homer off Royals rookie Brandon Finnegan to extend the advantage.
Jose Reyes had three hits, stole three bases, walked, scored a run and drove in a run for the Blue Jays.
Young (7-5), working on three days’ rest, gave up three runs and five hits with two walks in six-plus innings. He left after giving up a single to Kevin Pillar to open the inning.
The Royals took a 1-0 lead in the first as Alcides Escobar doubled, moved to third on a sacrifice and scored on Kendrys Morales’ grounder. It gave Morales 10 RBI in his past 11 games, and 57 on the season.
The Royals had Rios at third and Omar Infante at second with one out in the second, but Buehrle held them there by striking out Drew Butera and gettingJarrod Dyson on a ground out.
Encarnacion’s homer in the fourth gave the Blue Jays the lead for good, and Reyes had a run-scoring infield single in seventh to make it 3-1.
Alex Rios led off the bottom of the seventh with a double, moved to third on a fly ball to center and scored on Paulo Orlando’s grounder to pull the Royals within a run again.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Blue Jays: 3B Josh Donaldson left in the sixth inning after three at-bats with flu-like symptoms. He was replaced by Valencia.
Royals: RHP Kris Medlen (rehabbing from 2014 reconstructive elbow surgery) allowed three runs, all on solo home runs, in a start Friday for Triple-A Omaha against Iowa. He walked none and struck out seven, throwing 62 strikes in 89 pitches.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays: LHP Felix Doubront will make his second start after beating the White Sox on Tuesday, allowing one run and six hits in 6 2/3 innings.
Royals: RHP Edinson Volquez is 0-3 in four career starts against Toronto, allowing 19 earned runs over 19 1/3 innings.