Kansas City, MO – Alex Gordon delivered a game-winning base hit up the middle in the bottom of the ninth and the Kansas City Royals salvaged a three-game set with a 3-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.
Chris Getz set the table for Gordon when he stroked a one-out double against Toronto reliever Darren Oliver (0-1). Gordon, Lorenzo Cain and Jarrod Dyson each had two hits for Kansas City, which had won six of seven before dropping the first two games of this series.
"I just wanted to be aggressive and (Chris) Getz did a great job of getting into scoring position," said Gordon. "I tried to take a good swing, put the barrel on the ball and make something happen."
Royals starter Ervin Santana didn't factor into the decision, but was strong over eight innings, yielding two runs -- one earned -- on seven hits and three walks with four strikeouts. Kelvin Herrera (1-0) picked up the win with a perfect ninth.
Edwin Encarnacion had a solo homer and drove in both runs for Toronto, which received six innings out of starter Brandon Morrow. He allowed two runs on six hits.
"It was a well-pitched game on both sides," said Toronto manager John Gibbons. "They made some great defensive plays and took some hits away from us. I thought we played great in all three games in his series."
The Blue Jays, 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position on the day, pushed a run across in the first on Encarnacion's groundout to take the early lead.
Kansas City would draw even in the third following Dyson's triple to start the frame. He came around to score on an Alcides Escobar's sacrifice fly.
Encarnacion hit a solo homer in the sixth, but the Royals answered right back in bottom half with three straight singles, scoring a run on Cain's base hit up the middle.
Toronto's last opportunity came in the eighth when Encarnacion drew a two-out walk to put runners on first and second, but Santana struck out J.P. Arencibia to end the inning.
Game Notes
The Blue Jays had won six straight in Kansas City coming in ... Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer made his return from a two-game absence with tightness in his quadriceps. He went 1-for-3 ... The Royals were 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base.
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