TORONTO — Troy Tulowitzki, Josh Donaldson and Ryan Goins each homered and drove in three runs, and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Kansas City Royals 11-8 Monday night in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series.
The Royals, who scored four runs in the ninth to make the game close, lead the best-of-seven series 2-1 after taking the opening two games in Kansas City.
Royals designated hitter Kendrys Morales capped a three-hit game with a two-run homer in the ninth. Kansas City shortstop Alcides Escobar had four hits, including a triple, and second baseman Ben Zobrist had three doubles.
Toronto right-hander Marcus Stroman (1-0) picked up his first win in the postseason, allowing four runs, 11 hits and one walk in 6 1/3 innings. He had one strikeout before right-hander Aaron Sanchez took over in the seventh.
Royals right-hander Johnny Cueto (1-1) did not retire a batter in Toronto’s six-run third. He left after two-plus innings, charged with eight runs on six hits, four walks and a hit batter.
Tulowitzki, Toronto’s shortstop, hit a three-run homer in the third inning. Third baseman Donaldson added a two-run blast in the third, and second baseman Goins hit solo shot in the fifth.
Tulowitzki was ejected after the seventh as he continued to argue a third strike called against him during the inning.
Right-hander Kris Medlen replaced Cueto and allowed two runs on three hits, two of them solo homers, in five innings.
The Royals scored one run in the first inning after Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista misplayed a leadoff hit by Escobar into a triple. Escobar scored on a groundout to second by Zobrist.
Blue Jays center fielder Kevin Pillar made a sensational catch at the warning track before crashing into the wall on a drive by Royals center fielder Lorenzo Cain for the second out of the inning.
Toronto bounced back with a three-run third.
Tulowitzki singled with one out, and catcher Russell Martin was hit by a pitch. Pillar forced Martin at second with a grounder to shortstop and stole second uncontested.
Goins hit a two-run single to left, left fielder Ben Revere walked, and Donaldson hit an RBI single.
The Royals cut the lead to 3-2 in the third. Zobrist led off with a double, took third on Cain’s infield single to short and scored on first baseman Eric Hosmer’s grounder to first that forced Cain at second.
Tulowitzki’s second three-run homer of the postseason keyed Toronto’s six-run third.
The blast to center, the first Toronto homer in the ALCS, followed a leadoff single by designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion and a walk by first baseman Chris Colabello.
Martin walked and scored on Pillar’s double. Medlen replaced Cueto and retired two batters before Donaldson hit a two-run homer to left to produce a 9-2 lead.
The Royals scored twice in the fifth, trimming the lead to 9-4. Escobar led off with a single, took third on Zobrist’s double and scored on a wild pitch. Morales walked, and third baseman Mike Moustakas hit an RBI single.
Goins homered with two outs in the fifth to put Toronto ahead 10-4.
The Blue Jays scored a run in the eighth against left-hander Franklin Morales on an RBI single by right fielder Jose Bautista.
Right-hander Liam Hendriks took over in the ninth for Toronto and got only one out, a sacrifice fly by Cain. He allowed three hits, including an RBI single by Hosmer, and three runs.
Right-hander Roberto Osuna allowed the homer by Morales before finishing off the game.