Field Level Media
Apr 17, 2018
Yangervis Solarte hit a home run and had four RBIs, Randal Grichuk added a three-run homer and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the visiting Kansas City Royals 11-3 on Tuesday in the first game of a doubleheader.
It was the sixth loss in a row for the Royals (3-11). The Blue Jays (10-5) played for the first time since Friday after having three straight games postponed for the first time in franchise history.
The opener of the three-game series scheduled for Monday was postponed due to falling ice after a storm damaged the retractable roof of Rogers Centre.
Toronto starter Jaime Garcia (2-0) allowed eight hits, one walk and three runs while striking out five over five innings to earn the win.
Royals starter Eric Skoglund (0-2) allowed eight hits, one walk and five runs while striking out six in five innings to take the loss.
The Blue Jays took the lead with a three-run fifth inning and added six in the sixth after the Royals led 3-2 on consecutive solo homers by Mike Moustakas and Lucas Duda in the third.
Steve Pearce led off the bottom of the first with a single and Solarte hit his third homer of the season with two out to give Toronto a 2-0 lead.
The Royals scored once in the second after loading the bases on three singles. Duda scored from third when Paulo Orlando grounded to shortstop to start a double play.
Grichuk led off the fifth with a double and scored on Pearce's single. Teoscar Hernandez singled and Justin Smoak and Solarte followed with RBI singles.
Seung Hwan Oh replaced Garcia in the fifth and pitched around one hit.
Grichuk hit a three-run homer off Royals reliever Blaine Boyer in the sixth that started with a throwing error by Royals third baseman Cheslor Cuthbert on Kevin Pillar's grounder.
Solarte added a sacrifice fly and Pillar had a two-run double against Burch Smith to complete the scoring.
Aaron Loup pitched around two hits in the seventh for Toronto and John Axford was perfect in the eighth and ninth.
--Field Level Media