TORONTO — Chris Colabello hit a two-run home run, R.A. Dickey pitched seven shutout innings and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Kansas City Royals 5-2 on Sunday afternoon.
The benches emptied with two outs in the top of the eighth when Blue Jays right-handed reliever Aaron Sanchez was ejected after hitting a batter with a pitch.
Left fielder Ben Zobrist followed with his ninth home run of the season, and third of the series, against right-hander Roberto Osuna to cut the lead to 3-2.
The Blue Jays scored twice in the bottom of the inning.
The Blue Jays (54-52) completed the four-game series with the Royals (62-42) with three wins to move to 4-2 after the first six games of a 10-game home stand.
Dickey (6-10), the Blue Jays right-handed knuckleballer, allowed two hits and two walks while striking out six. Osuna picked up his seventh save.
Dickey was starting on three days’ rest for the seventh time in his career. The move allowed left-hander David Price, acquired from the Detroit Tigers Thursday, to take an extra day before making his Blue Jays debut Monday afternoon against the Minnesota Twins.
Royals right-hander Edinson Volquez (10-6) allowed four hits, three walks and two runs in six innings.
The Blue Jays took the lead in the fourth on a two-run homer by Colabello, the 10th of the season for the Blue Jays first baseman. It followed a leadoff single by designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion.
The Blue Jays scored a run in the seventh after second baseman Ryan Goins led off with a single against left-handed reliever Franklin Morales. Left fielder Ben Revere sacrificed Goins to second. Right-hander Ryan Madson came into the game and hit shortstop Tory Tulowitzki on the hand with a pitch.
When a 2-2 pitch close to Josh Donaldson, the Blue Jays third baseman became upset. Manager John Gibbons intervened and was ejected.
Donaldson struck out and right fielder Jose Bautista drove in a run with a double.
Sanchez took over on the mound for the Blue Jays in the eighth and, with two outs, he hit shortstop Alcides Escobar with a pitch and was ejected.
The benches and bullpens emptied. Osuna replaced Sanchez once order was restored and gave up the home run to Zobrist.
Right-hander Kelvin Herrera walked first baseman Justin Smoak, a defensive replacement, and catcher Russell Martin to open the bottom of the eighth. Smoak tagged up and took third when center fielder Kevin Pillar fouled out to second. Goins walked to load the bases. Revere hit a sacrifice fly and Tulowitzki singled to right to score another run.
There was a warning to the benches in the first inning after Donaldson was hit by a pitch from Volquez. Words were exchanged as Donaldson took first base.
Volquez had Donaldson backing up on an inside 85-mph changeup on an 0-1 pitch in the third. Gibbons came out to argue with plate umpire Jim Wolf. Donaldson eventually walked.
Cheslor Cuthbert started at third base for the Royals for the second day in a row as third baseman Mike Moustakas rested a sore knee.
NOTES: LHP David Price (9-4, 2.53 ERA) makes his Blue Jays debut against the Minnesota Twins on Monday afternoon at Rogers Centre. Price was acquired Thursday from the Detroit Tigers and was on schedule to pitch Sunday, but he missed a between-starts throwing session so he was backed off a day. The Twins will start RHP Ervin Santana (2-1, 3.78 ERA) in the opener of the four-game series between wild-card contenders. … LF Ben Rivera, who batted leadoff in his Blue Jays’ debut Saturday, hit ninth Sunday with the return to the lineup of SS Troy Tulowitzki, who has batted first since his acquisition from the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday. Tulowitzki was used only to pinch hit Saturday. … The Royals have Monday off, then start LHP Danny Duffy (4-5, 4.28 ERA) Tuesday at Detroit against Tigers RHP Justin Verlander (1-3, 4.86 ERA) to open a three-game series.