Royals built a lead in Toronto, but a bad 7th inning — and injury — spoiled the day

The Kansas City Royals clung to a late lead against the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night. The Royals manufactured a 2-1 advantage behind young prospects Alec Marsh, Nick Loftin and Dairon Blanco.

Then, the seventh inning happened.

The Blue Jays showed their veteran experience in the frame: Toronto scored four runs to secure a 5-4 victory at the Rogers Centre.

“We put up some pretty good at-bats and gave ourselves a chance to come back there,” Loftin said. “Unfortunately, that’s just baseball. ... They got it done.”

Royals reliever Carlos Hernandez was tagged for two hits, three earned runs and two walks in the seventh inning. He surrendered a pair of RBI singles to Blue Jays duo Bo Bichette and Ernie Clement.

Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. provided the major blow with a two-run double that put Toronto ahead.

“We went to Carlos, he missed some locations and they made him pay for it,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said.

The Royals recorded nine hits in the game. Blanco hit a solo home run and Loftin collected his first career triple.

KC brought the go-ahead run to the plate in the final two innings. Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano extinguished the threat despite allowing a run. He struck out Loftin in the eighth inning and held on to nail down the save in the ninth.

Hernandez dropped to 1-10 with the loss. Marsh, who operated as a bulk reliever, allowed one run and struck out six batters in four innings.

“It was good to see some of the things that I’ve been working on kind of clicking,” Marsh said. “I felt like I made a lot of really good pitches tonight.”

Blue Jays starter Yusei Kikuchi had eight strikeouts in his outing. He surrendered one run in five innings of work.

KC dropped to 44-98 on the season.

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Here are more notables from Friday’s game:

Dairon Blanco hits second career home run

The Royals scored early against the Blue Jays on Friday night.

In the third inning, Blanco hit a solo home run against Kikuchi. Blanco deposited an 84 mph curveball over the left-field wall.

The blast traveled 355 feet and was Blanco’s second homer of his career. Blanco’s first home run came Aug. 23 against the Oakland Athletics.

Blanco finished 1 for 4 Friday. He has four doubles, two triples and 15 RBIs in his last 37 games.

Collin Snider makes first career start

The Royals began their weekend series against the Blue Jays with an opener. Royals reliever Collin Snider started for the first time in his Major League career.

Snider, 27, pitched two scoreless innings. He allowed one hit, one walk and struck out a batter. In the first inning, Snider breezed through Toronto’s All-Star trio of George Springer, Bichette and Guerrero Jr.

It was a little different,” Snider said of his first career start. “I tried to treat everything the same throughout the day. I didn’t change any of my routines. I warmed up when their starter was going out for his inning. I really didn’t do anything I wouldn’t do out of the ordinary.”

Snider retired the Blue Jays on five pitches. It allowed him to work the second inning against the middle of their lineup.

Snider surrendered a leadoff double and a walk in the second frame. However, he induced a 1-4-3 double play and a strikeout to end the early threat.

“He was great and his stuff looked really good,” Quatraro said.

Snider retired five of the seven batters he faced. The Royals inserted Marsh to pitch the third inning as the “bulk reliever.”

Austin Cox exits with injury

Royals reliever Austin Cox departed Friday’s game with a left knee injury. In the seventh inning, Cox attempted to cover first base after Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk hit a ground ball to first baseman Salvador Perez.

“He is in some pain,” Quatraro said. “It’s a left knee injury, and we are going to get more diagnostic testing to see exactly what it is.”

Cox ran over to cover. However, he pulled up and tumbled over in pain upon reaching the bag. The Royals training staff came out to check on him before assisting him into the clubhouse.

Royals reliever Hernandez came in to pitch the remainder of the seventh inning.

What’s next: The Royals continue their three-game series against the Blue Jays. Royals reliever James McArthur will start Saturday’s game.