<\/p>\n
The Toronto Blue Jays will aim to forget a blowout loss and move closer to clinching the American League East title on Saturday night when they meet the host Kansas City Royals. <\/p>\n
The Royals (77-77) breezed to a 20-1 romp in the opener of the three-game series on Friday night, pounding out a team-record 27 hits and batting around twice.<\/p>\n
Toronto pitching coach Pete Walker was ejected in the first inning for protesting a close call on ball four. Manager John Schneider was tossed in the sixth for arguing about a call on a checked swing.<\/p>\n
Despite the embarrassment, the Blue Jays maintained their three-game lead in the AL East over the Yankees after New York dropped a 4-2 decision to the Baltimore Orioles on Friday.<\/p>\n
Toronto (89-65) has lost three in a row after a six-game winning streak.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou get your teeth kicked in tonight; you have to come out tomorrow and be ready to play,\u201d Schneider said. <\/p>\n
The loss might have repercussions for Saturday and beyond. Max Scherzer lasted only two-thirds of an inning, allowing seven runs and seven hits. <\/p>\n
The Blue Jays used up their bullpen and pitched catcher Tyler Heineman and infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa in the seventh and eighth innings, respectively. Heineman allowed 10 runs on 13 hits in 1 1\/3 innings.<\/p>\n
The Blue Jays had a chance to clinch a postseason berth on Friday but must wait until Saturday. Meanwhile, the Royals have yet to be eliminated from postseason contention but are seven games out of a wild card with eight to play.<\/p>\n
Toronto is scheduled to start right-hander Shane Bieber (3-1, 3.72 ERA) on Saturday. He is 6-1 with a 3.01 ERA in 15 career starts against the Royals.<\/p>\n
Rookie left-hander Noah Cameron (8-7, 2.98) is expected to start for the Royals. In his only appearance against Toronto, he took the 4-2 loss after allowing four runs across 6 1\/3 innings on Aug. 2.<\/p>\n
Scherzer\u2019s short outing bumped his ERA to 5.06, and that might be a concern because he is slated to be in the postseason rotation. <\/p>\n
\u201cEverything that could go wrong went wrong,\u201d he said. \u201cI took a haymaker to the face. \u2026 Nothing you can do in those situations. I just got beat in all facets of the game.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Blue Jays already told Jose Berrios that he is moving from the starting rotation to the bullpen.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a professional,\u201d Schneider said of Berrios. \u201cAs uncomfortable as it is, I think he gets it. You know, it\u2019s kind of where we are right now.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Blue Jays actually took the lead on Friday when George Springer celebrated his 36th birthday by leading off the game with his 30th home run of the season. <\/p>\n
Royals\u2019 catcher Salvador Perez also hit his 30th homer off the season, a three-run blast against Scherzer. Vinnie Pasquantino had four hits for Kansas City.<\/p>\n
A significant development was rookie Carter Jensen batting leadoff for the first time in his major league career.<\/p>\n
He rose to the occasion with three doubles, two in the first inning.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe feel really good about how he controls the (strike) zone, how he understands himself and how he puts up really quality at-bats,\u201d Royals manager Matt Quatraro said before the game in explaining the move. \u201cHe is swinging the bat extremely well. It gets him one more at-bat and one more crack at it when the lineup turns over.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Royals put reliever Lucas Erceg on the injured list with right-shoulder impingement syndrome and reinstated fellow right-hander Steven Cruz from the IL.<\/p>\n
\u2013Field Level Media<\/p>\n