KANSAS CITY, Mo. _ The hat tips began just after 3:06 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. Alcides Escobar was first, doffing his hat toward Eric Hosmer at first base. Then came Raul Mondesi, who removed his lid in the direction of Escobar. Inside the first base dugout, a row of men in white jerseys were doing the same.
It was the top of the seventh inning on Sunday, and Escobar had just ranged far to his left, throwing out Toronto catcher Josh Thole from the outfield grass behind second base. The play was punctuated by a dexterous dig from first baseman Eric Hosmer, who hauled the baseball in with two hands. The moment _ and the ensuing hat tributes _ summed up a successful weekend at Kauffman Stadium.
On a Sunday afternoon, the Royals captured a 7-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays, finishing off a series victory against a former postseason rival. The performance was highlighted by a two-out grand slam from Kendrys Morales in the seventh, a shutdown effort from starter Yordano Ventura, and a potent mix of defense and athleticism.
Mondesi flashed his high-end speed on an RBI bunt single in the second. Escobar unloaded a solo shot to right-center field in the bottom of the fifth.
Escobar's homer _ a rare blast to the opposite field _ produced a 3-0 cushion and allowed Ventura room to breathe. In return, Ventura worked into the seventh, exiting the game with two outs and a runner on third base.
The Blue Jays' only run would score on a wild pitch from reliever Peter Moylan, who turned around and struck out Jose Bautista to end the inning. Moments later, the Royals loaded the bases with nobody out in the seventh.
Toronto reliever Scott Feldman nearly escaped the jam, striking out Lorenzo Cain and Eric Hosmer. But Morales ran into a first-pitch fastball, blasting the pitch 459 feet over the batter's eye in center field.
