Kansas City Royals’ late rally comes up short at Toronto. They’ve lost 3 straight

Kansas City Royals starter Jonathan Bowlan got acquainted with Toronto Blue Jays veteran Justin Turner on Monday night.

Turner hit two home runs off Bowlan in the Blue Jays’ 6-5 victory. It was the 16th multi-homer game of Turner’s career and helped propel Toronto to its 15th win of the season.

The 16-year veteran tied the game with a two-run blast in the first inning. He smashed a 86.3 mph slider left hanging over the plate. Later, he gave the Blue Jays a 3-2 lead with a solo shot into the left-field bullpen.

Bowlan lasted just 2 2/3 innings. He surrendered four runs on six hits, including three homers, in his regular-season debut.

“The first (pitch that Turner belted for a homer), it was mislocated,” Bowlan said. “It’s not where an ideal slider is supposed to go.

“The second one was a well-executed pitch and he was just ready for it. ... He is a great hitter and is able to make adjustments. That’s part of the learning process.”

Nelson Velazquez, Michael Massey and Kyle Isbel each collected RBIs for the Royals, while Freddy Fermin finished 2-for-3 and hit his first home run of the season.

Isbel hit a fourth-inning single off Toronto starting pitcher Yariel Rodriguez to drive in Fermin. Rodriguez pitched 3 2/3 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) and three walks.

“We had the first-and-third situation that we didn’t capitalize on,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “But they had tough matchups for guys at the right time.”

The Blue Jays picked up Rodriguez with timely hitting and Toronto (15-15) added two runs against the KC bullpen. In the fifth inning, Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho hit a leadoff double and soon scored on an RBI single by Davis Schneider.

The Royals attempted to rally late. KC hit two late home runs to draw close, but it wasn’t enough. Blue Jays reliever Nate Pearson avoided ninth-inning trouble to earn the save.

“When you fall behind, stuff like this happens,” Bowlan said of his start. “It’s all part of the process — learning from it, growing and keep working to try to fix it at the end of the day.”

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Here are more notable aspects of Monday’s game:

Kyle Isbel hits third home run

Isbel kept the Royals in striking distance against the Blue Jays by hitting his third homer of the season in the sixth inning.

The Royals outfielder drilled a 92.2 mph fastball over the wall off Blue Jays reliever Trevor Richards. The home run traveled 406 feet and registered a 103.5 mph exit velocity.

“Solid contact is what we are looking for on a consistent basis,” Quatraro said. “When you do that, the ball carries sometimes.”

Isbel’s solo shot brought the Royals within a run. But the Blue Jays rebounded in the bottom of the sixth: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit an RBI double to extend the lead, driving home Addison Barger for Toronto’s sixth and final run.

Perez scratched with tight back but pinch-hits

The Royals were without their captain for most of Monday night’s game.

The team announced before first pitch that Salvador Perez had been scratched from the lineup.

Perez was dealing with back tightness, according to the club. He was initially set to catch and hit third in the order.

Fermin played in his stead and was productive, hitting a solo home run in the eighth inning as the Royals attempted to stage a late comeback.

“I tried to get short to the ball and have quick hands,” Fermin said. “That was a good swing that I made with my routine. I was looking for something up and I made a good swing.”

Perez drew a pinch-hit appearance in the ninth inning. He singled and was replaced at first base by Dairon Blanco, who represented the go-ahead run with Bobby Witt Jr. on third and Michael Massey at the plate.

Massey went down swinging to end the game.

“He’s always ready and wants to play all the time,” Quatraro said of Perez. “His back tightened up a little bit earlier in the day.

“He worked on it throughout the game. He said he was 100% there at the end.”

What’s next for the KC Royals?

The Royals are back in action Tuesday night.

Cole Ragans will pitch against the Blue Jays in the middle game of the series. The Jays are scheduled to start their ace, Jose Berrios.

In his last start, Ragans picked up his first win of the season — against Toronto. He allowed one run in a five-inning, rain-shortened game against the Blue Jays at Kauffman Stadium last week.