Benches, bullpens clear in tense Royals-Blue Jays game
An exchange of hit by pitches and some testy words overshadowed a big win for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Chris Colabello hit a two-run home run, R.A. Dickey threw seven shutout innings and the Blue Jays beat the Kansas City Royals 5-2 Sunday, taking three of four from the AL's top team.
"I think they're used to pushing people around," Dickey said of the Royals. "So when they come onto the playground and there's a kid that's bigger than they are for a day, I think it probably (ticks) them off. And I can't blame `em."
Both benches and bullpens emptied after Toronto reliever Aaron Sanchez was ejected for hitting Kansas City's Alcides Escobar on the thigh in the eighth. It was the climax of a game-long spat that began when Royals starter Edinson Volquez hit Josh Donaldson on the left shoulder in the first.
Volquez didn't mince words when asked whether Donaldson overreacted to being hit and to a pair of later pitches that were up and in.
"He's a little baby," Volquez said. "He was crying like a baby."
Donaldson and Volquez traded stares and words as the Blue Jays slugger took a slow walk to first base after being hit. Plate umpire Jim Wolf warned both dugouts.
When Donaldson batted again in the third, Volquez missed high and inside with a pitch that sailed to the backstop. Blue Jays manager John Gibbons came out to argue but Volquez was not ejected.
In the seventh, Royals reliever Ryan Madson hit Troy Tulowitzki on the right forearm, then threw high and inside to Donaldson, who stepped out and yelled at Wolf. Gibbons and on-deck hitter Jose Bautista stepped in to break up the argument, and Gibbons was eventually ejected.
After Donaldson struck out, Bautista made it 3-0 with a double to center, and yelled at Madson as he ran to first.
Donaldson and Volquez had to be restrained after Sanchez was ejected for hitting Escobar. Gibbons and Colabello, who'd just been replaced for defense, both ran out to join the scrum. Wolf ejected both Sanchez and Blue Jays bench coach DeMarlo Hale.
"Our guy loses a two-seamer and hits a guy in the knee when we've had four balls thrown at our neck the entire day and our guy gets ejected, it just doesn't seem proper," Donaldson said.
The sellout crowd of 45,736 jeered Wolf after the umpires had cleared the field.
"I don't think he made a lot of the right decisions today," Donaldson said of Wolf, who declined to speak with to a pool reporter following the game.
Royals manager Ned Yost, meanwhile, praised the umpires for doing "a phenomenal job."
"I thought Jim Wolf did a tremendous job understanding the game, understanding what's intentional," Yost said.
Donaldson hit two home runs in the series but struck out three times in the finale.
"He can't take it," Volquez said of Donaldson. "I don't know why. He hit a lot of homers in the first couple of games and he was pimping everything he does. Somebody hits you, you've got to take it, because you're pimping everything you do."
Roberto Osuna replaced Sanchez and allowed a two-run homer to Ben Zobrist, cutting it to 3-2.
Toronto scored a pair of insurance runs in the bottom half after Kelvin Herrera walked the bases loaded. Ben Revere hit a sacrifice fly and Tulowitzki had an RBI single.
Osuna finished in the ninth for his seventh save.
Pitching on three days' rest, Dickey (6-10) allowed just two hits, both singles, and walked two in winning his third straight start.
Gibbons said Dickey was "as good as we've seen him."
Kansas City was among the opponents Dickey beat the last time he won three straight. He also posted victories over the New York Yankees and Minnesota in that run, from Aug. 26 to Sept. 2, 2013.
Toronto denied Volquez his third straight win and handed Kansas City its fourth loss in five games.
Volquez retired Kevin Pillar and Ryan Goins to strand runners at the corners in the second before the Blue Jays opened the scoring in the fourth. Edwin Encarnacion led off with a single and Colabello followed with a drive to left, his 10th.
"I tried to go up and in and the ball stayed a little bit up in the middle and he hit it out," Volquez said.
Volquez (10-6) allowed two runs and four hits in six innings.
NO QUICK TRIGGER
Gibbons, Sanchez and Hale were the first ejections of the season for Wolf.
FIVE SPOT
Toronto scored five runs or more for the 59th time, the highest total in the majors. The Blue Jays lead baseball with 561 runs.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Royals: 3B Mike Moustakas (right knee) was held out of the lineup after being hit by a pitch in the ninth inning Saturday.
UP NEXT
Royals: Kansas City is off Monday before beginning a three game series in Detroit Tuesday. LHP Danny Duffy (4-5, 4.28 ERA) faces RHP Justin Verlander (1-3, 4.86 ERA) in the opener. Duffy allowed a career-high three home runs in a loss to Toronto last Thursday. He's 2-6 with a 3.16 ERA in 10 career starts against the Tigers.
Blue Jays: LHP David Price (9-4, 2.53 ERA) makes his Toronto debut Monday afternoon as the Blue Jays begin a pivotal series against wild-card rival Minnesota. Price is 7-0 with a 3.86 ERA in nine career starts at Rogers Centre. His opponent will be Twins RHP Ervin Santana (2-1, 3.78 ERA).
