Kansas City's Edinson Volquez and three relievers combined to shut out the potent Toronto batting order and give the Royals a 5-0 win against the Blue Jays in Friday's (Saturday AEDT) opening game of the MLB American League Championship Series.
Volquez (1-1) ramped up his fastball to 155 kph (97 mph) to slice through the Blue Jays offence, never allowing a runner past second base over six innings.
His only trouble occurred when he walked the first two batters in the sixth, but he wiggled out of it without any damage.
The Royals' bullpen finished off the club's eighth consecutive ALCS victory.
Salvador Perez - with a towering homer - Alcides Escobar and Lorenzo Cain drove in runs off Toronto starter Marco Estrada (1-1), while Eric Hosmer and Kendrys Morales tacked on two more off LaTroy Hawkins to put the game away.
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The Blue Jays' three hits were their fewest ever in a playoff game.
As if the outcome wasn't bad enough for them, designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion left in the eighth inning to get X-rays on the middle finger of his left hand. The initial report was a strain of the ligament and Encarnacion was listed as day-to-day.
The Royals will try to take a 2-0 series lead when they send Yordano Ventura to the mound on Saturday. Toronto will counter with former Cy Young Award winner David Price.
