KANSAS CITY – Noah Cameron delivered another stellar performance on the mound, and back-to-back home runs from Bobby Witt Jr. and Vinnie Pasquantino provided all the offense the Kansas City Royals needed to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays 2-1 on Saturday night. The loss prevented the Blue Jays from clinching a playoff spot.
Cameron (9-7) was lights out, allowing just one run on three hits over 6 2/3 innings. The rookie lefty, who tied a franchise record for most wins by a rookie southpaw, showcased his composure by navigating through baserunners in every inning except the first and sixth. His night ended after Daulton Varsho’s 19th homer in the seventh, marking his third consecutive quality start.
The Royals’ offense, while limited to just four hits after a franchise-record 27-hit outburst the previous night, made their hits count. Witt Jr. led off the fourth inning with his 23rd home run, and Vinnie Pasquantino immediately followed with his 31st. This marked the fourth time this season the Royals have hit consecutive homers.
Carlos Estévez closed out the game, working around a one-out hit in the ninth to secure his major league-leading 41st save.
With the loss, Toronto’s lead in the AL East was cut to two games over the New York Yankees, who won against Baltimore. Both teams have seven games remaining, and the Blue Jays hold the tiebreaker.
Blue Jays starter Shane Bieber (3-2) pitched well in his longest start for Toronto, allowing just the two home runs on four hits over 6 1/3 innings, but took the loss. Bieber’s defeat was his first ever at Kauffman Stadium.
The game ended with a spectacular defensive play by Royals center fielder John Rave, who tracked down a deep drive by Varsho before racing in to catch a fly ball from Ernie Clement to seal the win.
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