Bo Bichette helps Jays get by Royals

Bo Bichette's three-run triple led the Toronto Blue Jays past the host Kansas City Royals, 5-3, on Monday evening.

The Blue Jays took a 3-0 lead in the third after a pair of walks and Cavan Biggio's opposite-field double loaded the bases. With one out, Bichette's slicing liner to right-center tipped off the glove of diving center fielder Garrett Hampson, clearing the bases.

Daulton Varsho took Kansas City starter Brady Singer's 1-2 slider out to right for a two-run homer in the sixth, expanding Toronto's lead to 5-0. Varsho leads the Blue Jays with six homers this season.

Toronto scored more runs on Bichette's swing than Singer (2-1) had allowed in any of his four previous starts this year. Singer threw six innings, allowing five runs on five hits and three walks, striking out five.

Blue Jays starter Yusei Kikuchi (2-1) made quick work of the Royals through five scoreless innings, only allowing a bad-hop infield single.

But he ran into trouble in the sixth, as Dairon Blanco doubled with one out and scored on Maikel Garcia's two-run blast that drew Kansas City within 5-2. The homer broke a streak of 16 scoreless innings for the Royals.

Toronto had a scare in the fourth when Bobby Witt Jr.'s 106-mph line drive struck Kikuchi's right foot. Kikuchi stayed in the game to complete six innings, giving up two runs on five hits. He didn't issue a walk and fanned four.

Jordan Romano surrendered Kyle Isbel's two-out homer off the right field foul pole in the ninth, but he still managed to come away with his third save of 2024.

The Blue Jays have won seven of their past nine games, while the Royals have dropped three straight.

Salvador Perez collected two of Kansas City's eight hits and Vinnie Pasquantino extended his hitting streak to a career-high 11 games. During his streak, Pasquantino is hitting .421 (16-for-38) with four home runs and 11 RBIs.