Teoscar Hernandez and Matt Chapman each hit a three-run home run and the host Toronto Blue Jays defeated the depleted Kansas City Royals 8-1 on Friday night.
Chapman and Raimel Tapia each had three hits to lead a 16-hit attack for the Blue Jays, who evened the four-game series at one win apiece.
Toronto right-hander Alek Manoah (10-4) allowed one run and four hits in seven innings. He hit two batters with pitches, but walked none and struck out six.
Kansas City righty Zack Greinke (3-6) allowed four runs (three earned), eight hits and one walk with three strikeouts in four innings.
The Royals, who had five hits, continued to be without 10 roster players who failed to meet Canadian COVID-19 vaccine requirements.
Hernandez doubled to start the bottom of the second, took third on Chapman’s single and scored on Tapia’s single.
Toronto tacked on three runs in the third, thanks to a rally that began with Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s leadoff single. Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. then committed an error on Alejandro Kirk’s potential double-play grounder before Hernandez hit his 12th home run of the season.
After allowing a leadoff infield single in the first, Manoah retired 12 straight batters before he hit Ryan O’Hearn with a pitch to lead off the fifth. Nick Pratto singled for his first major league hit and Nicky Lopez delivered an RBI single two batters later.
Carlos Hernandez replaced Greinke in the bottom of the fifth inning and allowed singles to Bo Bichette and Lourdes Gurriel Jr., followed by Chapman’s 15th homer.
Toronto added an insurance run in the sixth. Cavan Biggio doubled against Hernandez to open the frame before George Springer singled and Kirk registered an RBI single to third.
Trevor Richards logged a perfect eighth for Toronto with two strikeouts. Anthony Banda pitched around Pratto’s double in the ninth.
Royals third baseman Emmanuel Rivera went 0-for-4 to end a 12-game hit streak.
–Field Level Media