Vargas and four relievers combine on two-hit shutout as Royals top Blue Jays 1-0
TORONTO — The rather staid Rogers Centre crowd briefly came to life in the ninth inning Thursday when Toronto’s Jose Bautista stepped into the box in a one-run game against Kansas City reliever Mike Minor.
The 35,861 fans in attendance were hoping for another dramatic moment from a slugger who’s likely playing his final homestand as a Blue Jay. Instead Bautista met the same fate as almost all of his teammates on this night, as Minor got him to pop up to preserve a 1-0 victory.
“His teammates want him to go out with a bang, there’s no doubt about that,” said Toronto manager John Gibbons. “We’ve all seen him do it many a time. I know everybody is rooting for him.”
Starter Jason Vargas and four relievers combined on a two-hit shutout as Kansas City (75-77) tries to hang on to its slim playoff hopes in the American League. The Royals entered play 3 1/2 games behind the Minnesota Twins for the second wild-card spot.