<\/p>\n
Salvador Perez and Jac Caglianone hit three-run homers, Michael Lorenzen pitched 7 2\/3 strong innings and the Kansas City Royals demolished the visiting Toronto Blue Jays 20-1 on Friday night.<\/p>\n
The Royals set a franchise record with 27 hits. The old mark of 26 was established on Sept. 9, 2004, in the first game of a doubleheader, a 26-5 road victory over the Detroit Tigers.<\/p>\n
Vinnie Pasquantino added four hits and two RBIs, Michael Massey had a two-run homer, four hits and three RBIs and Carter Jensen had three doubles and two RBIs for the Royals (77-77) in the opener of a three-game series.<\/p>\n
Caglianone finished with four RBIs and Luke Maile had three RBIs for the Royals, whose run total was a season high and the fourth most in team history. The Blue Jays used position players to pitch the seventh and eighth innings, while Kansas City piled on 10 runs.<\/p>\n
Lorenzen (6-11) allowed one run, three hits and three walks while striking out four.<\/p>\n
George Springer had a solo home run, two hits and a walk for the Blue Jays (89-65), who have lost three in a row for the first time since late July. Toronto maintained its three-game lead in the American League East as the New York Yankees (86-68) lost 4-2 to the Baltimore Orioles.<\/p>\n
Springer led off the first with his 30th homer of the season, a blast to left-center on a 2-2 fastball.<\/p>\n
The Royals responded in the bottom of the first with seven runs against Max Scherzer (5-4).<\/p>\n
Jensen led off with a double to left and scored on Bobby Witt Jr.\u2019s single to left. Witt stole second and scored on Pasquantino\u2019s double down the left field line.<\/p>\n
Maikel Garcia walked on a close pitch, and Toronto pitching coach Pete Walker was ejected after a mound visit. Perez smashed an 0-1 fastball to right for his 30th homer of the season and a 5-1 lead.<\/p>\n
Adam Frazier blooped a single to center, and with one out, Massey homered to right on a hanging curve. It was his third of the year. <\/p>\n
Jensen hit his second double of the inning with two outs, and Braydon Fisher replaced Scherzer, who allowed seven runs, seven hits and one walk with two strikeouts in two-thirds of an inning. It was Scherzer\u2019s shortest career outing that did not involve an injury.<\/p>\n
Kansas City added three in the third against Tommy Nance. Caglianone walked, Massey doubled and Jensen knocked a two-run double into the left-center gap. One out later, Pasquantino hit an RBI single for a 10-1 lead.<\/p>\n
Toronto manager John Schneider was ejected in the home sixth for arguing a call on a checked swing.<\/p>\n
\u2013Field Level Media<\/p>\n