TORONTO (AP)– Chris Colabello hit a two-run home run, R.A. Dickey threw seven shutout innings and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Kansas City Royals 5-2 in testy matchup Sunday, taking three of four from the AL’s top team.
Both benches and bullpens emptied after Toronto reliever Aaron Sanchez was ejected for throwing at Kansas City’s Alcides Escobar in the eighth. It was the climax of a game-long spat that began when Royals starter Edinson Volquez hit Josh Donaldson on the left arm in the first.
Donaldson and Volquez traded stares and words as the Blue Jays slugger took a slow walk to first base. Home plate umpire Jim Wolf warned both dugouts.
When Donaldson batted again in the third, Volquez missed high and inside with a pitch that sailed to the backstop. Blue Jays manager John Gibbons came out to argue but Volquez was not ejected.
In the seventh, Royals reliever Ryan Madson hit Troy Tulowitzki on the right forearm, then threw high and inside to Donaldson, who stepped out and yelled at Wolf. Gibbons and on-deck hitter Jose Bautista stepped in to break up the argument, and Gibbons was eventually ejected.
After Donaldson struck out, Bautista made it 3-0 with a double to center, and yelled at Madson as he ran to first.
Donaldson and Volquez had to be restrained after Sanchez was ejected for hitting Escobar. Gibbons and Colabello, who’d just been replaced for defense, both ran out to join the scrum. Wolf ejected both Sanchez and Blue Jays bench coach DeMarlo Hale.
The sellout crowd of 45,736 jeered Wolf after the umpires had cleared the field.
Roberto Osuna replaced Sanchez and allowed a two-run homer to Ben Zobrist, cutting it to 3-2.
Toronto scored a pair of insurance runs in the bottom half after Kelvin Herrera walked the bases loaded. Ben Revere hit a sacrifice fly and Tulowitzki had an RBI single.
Osuna finished in the ninth for his seventh save.
Pitching on three days’ rest, Dickey (6-10) allowed just two hits, both singles, and walked two in winning his third straight start.
Kansas City was among the opponents Dickey beat the last time he won three straight. He also posted victories over the New York Yankees and Minnesota in that run, from Aug. 26 to Sept. 2, 2013.
Toronto denied Volquez his third straight win and handed Kansas City its fourth loss in five games.
Volquez retired Kevin Pillar and Ryan Goins to strand runners at the corners in the second before the Blue Jays opened the scoring in the fourth. Edwin Encarnacion led off with a single and Colabello followed with a drive to left, his 10th.
Volquez (10-6) allowed two runs and four hits in six innings.
