TORONTO (AP) — Jac Caglianone had a homer among his career-best five hits and finished with a career-high six RBIs, Noah Cameron pitched six strong innings and the Kansas City Royals beat the Toronto Blue Jays 13-2 on Thursday night.
The Blue Jays are 3 1/2 games behind Cleveland in the race for the final American League wild-card spot.
The Royals took two of three in the series, have won 10 of their last 11 games and four consecutive series, including two straight on the road after starting the season 3-15-2 in road sets. Kansas City, which went in tied with the Giants for the worst road record in MLB, is 24-45 away from home this season.
Cameron (9-8) allowed six hit and two runs and struck out three.
Carter Jensen hit a 421-foot homer off Spencer Arrighetti to lead off the game, and Vinnie Pasquantino hit a two-run homer that capped Kansas City's six-run sixth and made it 10-0.
Caglianone's two-run shot with two out in the ninth capped the scoring.
Bobby Witt Jr. and Kyle Isbel each had a run-scoring double.
Pasquantino had his string of consecutive plate appearances without a strikeout ended at a career-best 38 when he fanned in the first inning. It was the longest active streak in MLB.
George Springer hit his 13th homer of the season, a two-run shot, with two out in the sixth that ended Cameron's scoreless streak at 19 2/3 innings.
Arrighetti (7-7), who went in 0-2 with a 16.00 ERA in two career starts against Kansas City, allowed four runs — three earned — in four innings.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. remained second in Toronto's batting order and went 0-for-3. The first baseman is hitting a career-worst .260 and has just seven home runs, none at home, this season.
Up next
Royals RHP Michael Wacha (7-8, 3.49 ERA) Friday at Cleveland. The Guardians have not named a starter.
Blue Jays RHP Dylan Cease (8-5, 2.37 ERA) starts Friday against the Mariners at home. Seattle has not named a starter.
