Clutch two-out hitting helps Royals split series with Jays after rain delay
KANSAS CITY - While the Kansas City Royals overcame the weather, Toronto Blue Jays starter Sam Gaviglio was unable to overcome a fourth-inning balk.
Lucas Duda homered, Rosell Herrera had three hits and the Royals beat the Blue Jays 6-2 after a long rain delay Thursday night to split their four-game series.
Royals relievers Brian Flynn, Kevin McCarthy, Brandon Maurer and Wily Peralta shut down Toronto on three hits over the final five innings. Flynn (3-3) picked up the win with a scoreless inning.
"Difficult circumstances, really," Kansas City manager Ned Yost said. "Long wait, waiting out the rain. We weren't sure we were going to play. It just kept building up, building up and then it started dying down. I wasn't sure what was going to happen.
"The bullpen did a good job of holding the fort and a good job by our hitters with four two-out hits to give us the lead."
Kansas City took the lead with a three-run fourth highlighted by Jorge Bonifacio's RBI triple.
Gaviglio (2-6) failed to make it through five innings for the eighth time in his past 13 starts. He allowed five runs and eight hits in 4 1/3 innings.
The right-hander came unraveled after a balk call and a delay of more than five minutes in the fourth. He attempted a pickoff throw, but the ball slipped out of his hand. After the umpires huddled, Herrera was awarded second base. There was also a replay review to confirm the balk, which took 4 minutes, 1 second.
Following the long delay, Gaviglio yielded three straight run-producing hits.
"I thought it was a balk, from my point of view," Gaviglio said.
He said the delay did not cause him problems.
"I just kind of got a little up in the zone, didn't make very good pitches," Gaviglio said.
Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said Gaviglio is unable to get away with elevated pitches.
"He's been getting hit around a little bit lately, primarily because he gets a lot of pitches up in the zone," Gibbons said. "That's not his style. He can't do that. "
Danny Jansen's sacrifice fly in the second scored Teoscar Hernandez with the first Toronto run.
Kendrys Morales singled home Justin Smoak in the fourth with the final Blue Jays run.
Glenn Sparkman, who was making his first big league start, was removed after four innings and 75 pitches. He gave up two runs and four hits.
Rain delayed the start for 2 hours, 14 minutes -- the third straight day that bad weather held up the first pitch.
"It was a little different," Sparkman said. "I definitely wasn't ready for it. I got a cup of coffee, got warmed back up and went out there."
O'Hearn, O'Yea! #Royals take the lead on the rookie's single.
Tune in now on FSKC and FSGO: https://t.co/esvG48HThu pic.twitter.com/cuPk6VPPxF
— FOX Sports Kansas City (@FSKansasCity) August 17, 2018
MATIAS' SEASON OVER
OF Seuly Matias, who leads the minor leagues with 31 homers for Class A Burlington, went on the disabled list with a cut thumb. "It was an accident with the bus baggage door, just a freak accident, putting his bag in the bus on the way to Hagerstown," Royals director of operations Alec Zumwalt said. "He sliced his thumb. It's to the point where we're just going to stop him for the season and get him ready for the instructional league. He's not a guy we're going to rush back, and make sure he's at 100 percent." Matias went 2 for 3 with a home run in the All-Star Futures Game last month in Washington.
NOT CLUTCH
Royals 3B Hunter Dozier is 4 for 46 (.087) with runners in scoring position. He has come to bat with 65 men in scoring position and has six RBIs with only one extra-base hit. "It's not really conducive to scoring runs, but that's not going to stop me from playing him and letting him work through that," manager Ned Yost said.
ROSTER MOVE
The Royals sent minor league LHP Kelvin Gonzalez to the Texas Rangers for a $250,000 international bonus allocation. Gonzalez, 20, was 0-2 with a 4.19 ERA and one save with short-season Class A Burlington in the Kansas City organization.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Blue Jays: 3B Josh Donaldson (left calf tightness) is running the bases at the Dunedin, Florida, complex with no issues. . INF-OF Brandon Drury (broken left hand) will receive follow-up imaging Friday in New York to assess his healing.
Royals: RHP Ian Kennedy (strained left oblique) threw a 25-pitch simulated game. He is scheduled to throw a two-inning simulated game Monday at the Royals' complex in Surprise, Arizona. ... LHP Danny Duffy (shoulder impingement) will begin throwing off a flat surface Friday for the first time since going on the disabled list Sunday. . OF Brian Goodwin (left groin strain) went 0 for 3 with two walks in his first rehab game with Triple-A Omaha.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays: RHP Marcus Stroman (4-8, 5.03 ERA) starts Friday in the series opener at Yankee Stadium.
Royals: RHP Jakob Junis (6-11, 4.82) is scheduled to pitch Friday against the White Sox in Chicago to open a seven-game trip.
