Salvador Perez homered as the host Kansas City Royals outlasted the weather and the Toronto Blue Jays to win a rain-shortened 2-1 contest on Thursday afternoon.
The five-inning contest marked their third straight victory by one run and gave the Royals their first series win against the Blue Jays since April 15-18, 2021.
Perez lined a first-pitch, two-run homer down the left-field line in the first inning. His seventh home run of the year gave him 837 career RBIs, tying him with Mike Sweeney for fifth all-time in franchise history. Perez is batting .375 with five homers and 15 RBIs in his last 12 games and hit .435 with eight RBIs during the club’s 4-3 homestand.
Perez’s home run, his seventh this season, snapped a career-best 21 2/3 scoreless innings streak by Toronto starter Jose Berrios (4-1).
Berrios surrendered two runs on three hits and three walks with one strikeout in five innings. Four of the five runs allowed by Berrios in his six starts this year have scored via home runs.
Cole Ragans (1-2) rebounded from his career-worst start against Baltimore on Saturday to hurl five innings, allowing a run on three hits and three walks while striking out four.
Ragans pitched out of trouble in the second by retiring Alejandro Kirk on a liner with runners at the corners. The left-hander was assisted in the fifth inning on a diving, over-the-shoulder catch at the warning track by center fielder Kyle Isbel of a George Springer flyball.
With one out in the Toronto fourth, Justin Turner doubled and scored on Ernie Clement’s single to center.
A steady downpour gradually became heavier as the game progressed. Before the sixth inning began, umpires and managers discussed at length the damp field conditions and the field was covered by a tarp. The game was eventually called after a delay of three hours and 38 minutes.
The Royals are 14-2 when allowing fewer than four runs, the most such wins in the majors.
In dropping 3 of 4 to Kansas City, Toronto lost its first series since losing 2 of 3 to the Yankees on April 5-7.
