TORONTO (AP) — Salvador Perez drove in two runs, Seth Lugo gave up one run in five effective innings, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-3 on Tuesday night to extend their winning streak to nine games.
The last time the Kansas City Royals won nine straight was in July 2017.
Lugo (6-7) allowed six hits while striking out five to help the Royals take the first game of the three-game series.
Perez drove in the first run of the game despite grounding into a double play, then tacked on a go-ahead RBI single in the fifth for a 2-1 Kansas City lead. Kyle Isbel added insurance with an RBI sacrifice bunt, and Carter Jensen had a sacrifice fly in the sixth.
John Rave capped the scoring for the Royals with an RBI single in the ninth inning.
Max Scherzer (1-7) worked five innings, surrendering two runs on four hits for the Blue Jays. He struck out four and walked five while tying a season-high with 92 pitches. Scherzer is now within nine strikeouts of Gaylord Perry for ninth in major league history.
Jesús Sánchez scored Toronto's first run on a sacrifice fly in the first inning, tying the game 1-1. Nathan Lukes hit a two-run single in the ninth, but was thrown out while trying to reach second base to end the game.
Nathan Lukes made the game-ending out at second base trying to stretch a double with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. coming to the plate as the tying run pic.twitter.com/2stwWJzVEz
— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 26, 2026
Royals second baseman Michael Massey left the game in the fifth inning after hitting his head on the turf while making a throw.
Up next
Royals' RHP Randy Dobnak (2-1, 1.58 ERA) takes the mound for game two of the series on Wednesday while the Blue Jays have yet to announce a starter.
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