Jansen's walk-off blast lifts Blue Jays over Royals

Danny Jansen hit a two-run homer with one out in the bottom of the ninth and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the visiting Kansas City Royals 7-5 on Saturday afternoon.

It was the fourth homer of the season and the first career walkoff homer for Jansen.

Scott Barlow (2-3) walked Randal Grichuk to open the bottom of the ninth and struck out pinch hitter Rowdy Tellez before giving up Jansen's homer.

Cavan Biggio hit his first career grand slam and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a solo homer for the Blue Jays, who have won the first two games of the four-game series.

Daniel Hudson (5-2), who gave up a ninth-inning run to blow the save, picked up the win.

The Blue Jays lost starter Marcus Stroman with a left shoulder pectoral cramp two pitches into the fifth inning. He allowed three runs, four hits and two walks while striking out four.

Royals starter Homer Bailey, who had won his three previous starts, allowed five runs, five hits and four walks while striking out six in five innings.

The Royals scored twice in the first. Whit Merrifield led off with a double and came around to score on Stroman's throwing error on Nicky Lopez's infield single. Alex Gordon walked and was forced at second on Jorge Soler's grounder to shortstop. Lucas Duda hit an RBI single.

Guerrero hit his eighth homer this season with two out in the third.

Martin Maldonado hit his fifth homer this season, and second of the series, to give Kansas City a 3-1 lead with two out in the fourth.

Sam Gaviglio replaced Stroman, and retired Merrifield on a grounder. Lopez walked, took second on Gordon's groundout and scored on Hunter Dozier's double to left that eluded Lourdes Gurriel Jr.'s diving attempt.

Biggio's sixth homer of the season with two out in the bottom of the fifth gave Toronto a 5-4 lead. The Blue Jays had loaded the bases on walks to Brandon Drury and Gurriel and a single by Eric Sogard.

Gaviglio allowed a one-out single and hit a batter before Tim Mayza took over and ended the top of the sixth on two strikeouts.

David Phelps pitched a perfect top of the seventh and Derek Law pitched around a walk in the eighth.

Hudson entered in the ninth and allowed a leadoff single to Billy Hamilton, a walk to Merrifield, a sacrifice bunt to Lopez and a sacrifice fly by Gordon to tie the game.

--Field Level Media