Field Level Media
Aug 15, 2018
Kevin Pillar hit a two-run home run with two outs in the eighth inning and had three RBIs to help the visiting Toronto Blue Jays come back to defeat the Kansas City Royals 6-5 Tuesday night at Kauffman Stadium.
Danny Jansen also hit a solo shot for the Blue Jays, his first career homer in his second major-league game.
Adalberto Mondesi had a career-best four hits, including two doubles, one RBI and three stolen bases for the Royals.
After Toronto's Thomas Pannone struck out his only batter of the game to open the bottom of the seventh, Jake Petricka (2-1) allowed doubles to Salvador Perez and Jorge Bonifacio that put the Royals ahead 5-4.
The Blue Jays regained the lead in the top of the eighth when Blaine Boyer (2-1) walked Aledmys Diaz with two out and Pillar followed with his 10th homer of the season.
Ken Giles struck out two in a perfect ninth to earn his second save for the Blue Jays after recording 12 saves for the Houston Astros.
The teams have split the first two games of the four-game series.
The Royals completed a franchise-record 14th straight errorless game.
Toronto starter Ryan Borucki allowed four runs, six hits and four walks (one intentional) in four innings. He struck out one.
Kansas City starter Heath Fillmyer allowed four runs, five hits and five walks and struck out three in five innings.
The Blue Jays took a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Teoscar Hernandez and Kendrys Morales walked and Russell Martin -- who has reached base safely in 12 straight starts -- singled to load the bases. Hernandez scored when Diaz grounded into a double play and Pillar hit an RBI single, scoring Morales.
Toronto added a run in the third. Curtis Granderson walked, Justin Smoak doubled, and Morales walked with two out to load the bases. Granderson scored when Martin was hit by a pitch.
The Royals scored three in the bottom of the third. Mondesi doubled with one out, stole third and scored on Whit Merrifield's single. Merrifield stole second and scored on Alex Gordon's single. Perez tied the game at 3 with an RBI double.
Jansen's solo homer in the fourth gave Toronto the lead but Kansas City tied the game in the bottom of the inning on a two-out double by Alcides Escobar and an RBI single by Mondesi.
Joe Biagini replaced Borucki and pitched around a fifth-inning single while also surviving two hits in the sixth.
Kansas City's Jason Adam pitched a perfect top of the sixth and worked around a walk in the seventh.
Toronto's Tyler Clippard pitched around a single in the bottom of the eighth.
Tim Hill pitched a perfect ninth for the Royals.
The game was delayed about 30 minutes at the start because of rain.
--Field Level Media