Alex Rios helps lift Royals past Blue Jays 3-0 for 6th consecutive win

It was past midnight and the stands were still full. Earlier in the day, the fans of the Royals powered third baseman Mike Moustakas into the All-Star Game. Now the majority of a crowd of 31,558 remained, clapping and stomping in the final moments of a 3-0 victory over Toronto.

The old formula still works, even if the Royals use it less and less in 2015. Kansas City delivered a vintage performance against the Blue Jays, combining a few timely hits with a credible performance from a starting pitcher and their usual stifling relief for a sixth win in a row.

“It’s just a lot of confidence right now, that when we step on that field, we’re going to win a baseball game,” manager Ned Yost said.

The Royals (51-33) are surging into the All-Star break. Alex Rios led the offense. He drove in his team’s first run. He scored the second. It was one of his most encouraging performances since he broke his left hand. Salvador Perez added some insurance with a solo shot in the eighth.

Danny Duffy (3-4, 4.65 ERA) logged six innings of scoreless baseball. He tip-toed through the Toronto sluggers, yielding only four hits and three walks. He relied upon his defense – Duffy recorded no strikeouts.

The last three innings belonged to Kansas City’s vaunted relief trio. Kelvin Herrera struck out one. Wade Davis struck out another. Greg Holland struck out the side and collected his 18th save.

Before the game began, the Royals met another familiar foe: The weather. A storm delayed the game for more than two hours. Duffy threw the game’s first pitch at 9:17 p.m. He was making his fourth start since returning from the disabled list on June 24.

“I wasn’t executing a whole lot, but my fastball was good enough to get in on guys,” Duffy said. “Nights like that, when you don’t have everything, you just go out there and compete. That’s what I tried to do, and made it through it.”

The Royals staked him an early lead. This time, an unlikely contributor emerged. Salvador Perez led off the second inning with a single. Two batters later, Toronto starter Marco Estrada fed Rios an 87-mph fastball at the belt. Rios ripped an RBI double into center field.

The knock marked just Rios’ fourth extra-base hit of the season. He had not contributed one since June 15.

The inning ended up as a disappointment. Rios advanced to third with one out, but Jarrod Dyson struck out and Alcides Escobar grounded out. Just an inning later, Dyson would make up for his hitting with his throwing.

To open the third, former All-Star shortstop Jose Reyes raked a groundball past third baseman Mike Moustakas. Dyson raced to track it down. Reyes hesitated as he rounded first base, but decided to try for two. Omar Infante caught Dyson’s throw before Reyes even began to slide.

“I know the speed of the runner,” Dyson said. “I’m pretty fast, too. I can get there just as quickly as he gets to first. And I was able to come up with it clean and make a good throw.”

Dyson collected his third assist in his last three games, all of them operating as Alex Gordon’s replacement. Dyson may not be able to replicate Gordon’s mastery of the area. But he has compensated well. When the inning ended, Duffy waited outside the dugout to bump fists with Dyson and applaud him.

“Play of the game, man,” Duffy said. “Play of the game. He’s been doing his thing out there. He’s been huge for us the last few days.”

Kansas City scratched across another run in the fourth. Rios started the rally once again. He singled with two outs. Dyson walked.

The Blue Jays boast one of baseball’s most explosive offenses. They entered the game leading the majors in runs. They trailed only Houston in homers. Duffy needed to defuse the frightening trio of Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion. Estrada busted Escobar on the hands with a 90-mph fastball, but Escobar dunked it into right field for an RBI hit.

Duffy struggled to solve Bautista, who walked in the first inning and hit a single in the third. Yet he pacified both Donaldson and Encarnacion. Donaldson made three outs against him. Encarnacion only reached base when Duffy hit him with a fastball to start the sixth.

In the bullpen, the relief corps stirred to life. Ryan Madson began to warm up. Duffy made sure Madson never entered the game. He drove a fastball through the lower half of the zone, tempting enough for former Royal Danny Valencia to swing. Valencia hit a groundball right at Escobar, who ignited the double play. Duffy produced a pop-up from All-Star catcher Russell Martin to end the inning.

“I thought he threw the ball great,” Yost said. “He made big pitches when he needed to.”

Royals 3, Blue Jays 0

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a-grounded out for Valencia in the 8th.

E: L.Cain (5). LOB: Toronto 8, Kansas City 9. 2B: Bautista (16), Travis (15), Hosmer (17), Rios (4). HR: S.Perez (15), off Tepera. RBIs: A.Escobar (32), S.Perez (38), Rios (13). SB: Rios (6).

Runners left in scoring position: Toronto 4 (Travis 2, Reyes, Smoak); Kansas City 5 (K.Morales 2, A.Escobar, Moustakas, S.Perez). RISP: Toronto 0 for 8; Kansas City 2 for 9.

Runners moved up: K.Morales, Infante. GIDP: Valencia.

DP: Kansas City 1 (A.Escobar, Infante, Hosmer).

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Inherited runners-scored: Loup 1-0. HBP: by D.Duffy (Encarnacion). WP: Estrada.

Umpires: Home, Adrian Johnson; First, Ron Kulpa; Second, Jerry Meals; Third, Jim Wolf.

Time: 2:55. Attendance: 31,558 (37,903).

This story was originally published July 11, 2015 at 12:13 AM with the headline "Alex Rios helps lift Royals past Blue Jays 3-0 for 6th consecutive win."