Michael Wacha pitched eight strong innings, Bobby Witt Jr. hit a three-run homer and the visiting Kansas City Royals defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 9-3 on Friday night.
Wacha (5-9) allowed one run, three hits and no walks while striking out five.
Mike Yastrzemski launched a two-run homer in his first at-bat with the Royals after being acquired in a trade with the San Francisco Giants on Thursday.
Adam Frazier also hit a two-run home run and Salvador Perez added a solo shot for Kansas City in the first of a nine-game road trip.
Addison Barger hit a two-run blast and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. belted a solo homer for Toronto in the three-game series opener.
The Blue Jays have lost five of their past six games after taking eight of the previous nine.
Toronto scored first when Guerrero homered to left field on a 1-1 sinker with two outs in the opening frame.
Maikel Garcia led off the second inning against Kevin Gausman (7-8) with an infield single to shortstop. He then stole second and scored when Yastrzemski homered to right on a 2-2 splitter.
Kyle Isbel opened the third with a single over first base and took third when Jonathan India’s double eluded the diving attempt of center fielder Daulton Varsho, who just returned from the injured list. Witt launched a long homer to left on a first-pitch splitter to stake the Royals to a 5-1 advantage.
Gausman retired nine in a row before Vinnie Pasquantino led off the sixth with a double to left. Gausman, though, responded by setting down the next three batters. The starter completed six innings, allowing five runs and no walks with five strikeouts.
Louis Varland pitched a perfect seventh in his first appearance for the Blue Jays after being obtained in a trade with the Minnesota Twins on Thursday.
Wacha retired 20 of 21 hitters before Witt’s throwing error on a grounder to short allowed Ernie Clement to reach first with one out in the eighth. Wacha retired the next two batters on fly balls to complete his outing with 100 pitches.
Perez opened the ninth inning with a homer to left on a 1-2 sweeper from Mason Fluharty. Two batters later, Randal Grichuk singled to set the stage for Frazier’s homer to right. Pasquantino later added an RBI single for the Royals.
Barger completed the scoring in the home half of the ninth with a two-run shot to right field off of Thomas Hatch.
–Field Level Media
