Royals endure rough seventh inning, fall 6-2 in ALCS rematch
TORONTO -- One bad inning spoiled an otherwise solid start by Kansas City's Edinson Volquez.
Aaron Sanchez overcame flu-like symptoms to work eight innings and win his eighth straight decision, Josh Donaldson and Darwin Barney each hit two-run singles in a four-run seventh and the Toronto Blue Jays beat Volquez and the Royals 6-2 on Monday night.
Troy Tulowitzki had two hits, his third multi-hit game in the past four, as the Blue Jays won a rematch of last year's ALCS, which Kansas City won in six games.
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Volquez allowed four runs and four hits in six-plus innings. He is winless in three starts, allowing 15 earned runs in 13 2-3 innings.
"It's a pretty good lineup over there," Volquez said. "You can't make a lot of mistakes. They make you pay and I did in the seventh inning."
Volquez (7-8) left after the first three batters reached to load the bases. Luke Hochevar came on and walked Devon Travis to bring in the go ahead run. Barney followed with a two-run single.
"That was the whole game," Volquez said. "I got myself in trouble in that inning."
After Ezequiel Carrera advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt, Donaldson lined a two-run single to right, making it 6-1.
Ned Yost said there was "absolutely no thought" of removing Edinson Volquez after six innings tonight. #Royalshttps://t.co/1Zux1iHMBb
— FOX Sports KC (@FSKansasCity) July 5, 2016
Sanchez (9-1) has not lost since April 22, against Oakland. He allowed one run and three hits and matched the longest start of his career.
"He threw the ball extremely well," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "Good downhill action on a 95 mile per hour fastball, good curveball. He just threw a great game."
Sanchez retired the first seven batters he faced and held the Royals hitless until Cheslor Cuthbert's two-out single to center in the fifth. The next hitter, Alcides Escobar, grounded out.
"That's the name of the game, trying to get these guys back into the dugout as fast as I can," Sanchez said. "When you can do that you kind of keep a flow of things."
Sanchez also gave up one run in eight innings at Colorado in his previous start.
"It's just starting to come together for him," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "I think he's going to get even better and better."
Michael Saunders gave the Blue Jays a 1-0 lead with an RBI groundout off Volquez in the first after the Royals couldn't turn a potential inning-ending double play.
Toronto nearly doubled its lead in the fourth but Alex Gordon threw out Edwin Encarnacion trying to score from second on Kevin Pillar's two-out single to left.
"When (Gordon) first got that ball I thought he's got no shot at throwing (Encarnacion) out," Yost said. "All of a sudden, boom, here we go. He came up firing. It was a fantastic throw."
Kansas City tied it when Kendrys Morales homered off Sanchez to begin the seventh, his 15th. Morales has hit five home runs in his past five games.
Eric Hosmer hit a two-out homer off Brett Cecil in the ninth, his 13th.
TOUGH TIME WITH TORONTO
Volquez is 0-5 with a 6.38 ERA in seven career starts against the Blue Jays.
EARLY RETURNS
The Blue Jays have scored in the first inning in their past three games.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Royals: RHP Yordano Ventura has a Grade 1 sprain of his right ankle but hopes to make his next start, Friday against Seattle, manager Ned Yost said. Ventura left Sunday's start after he was injured running the bases.
Blue Jays: RHP Marco Estrada received multiple cortisone injections in his sore lower back and expects to make his next start, Thursday against Detroit.
UP NEXT
Royals: RHP Chris Young (2-7, 6.24) is 0-5 with a 8.53 ERA in six road starts. Young is winless on the road since a victory at Chicago on July 17, 2015.
Blue Jays: RHP R.A. Dickey (5-9, 4.21) is 0-6 with a 5.14 ERA in eight home starts. The knuckleballer has lost three of his past four decisions.
