Salvador Perez and Jac Caglianone hit three-run homers, Michael Lorenzen pitched 7 2/3 strong innings and the Kansas City Royals demolished the visiting Toronto Blue Jays 20-1 on Friday night.

The Royals set a franchise record with 27 hits. The old mark of 26 was established on Sept. 9, 2004, in the first game of a doubleheader, a 26-5 road victory over the Detroit Tigers.

Vinnie Pasquantino added four hits and two RBIs, Michael Massey had a two-run homer, four hits and three RBIs and Carter Jensen had three doubles and two RBIs for the Royals (77-77) in the opener of a three-game series.

Caglianone finished with four RBIs and Luke Maile had three RBIs for the Royals, whose run total was a season high and the fourth most in team history. The Blue Jays used position players to pitch the seventh and eighth innings, while Kansas City piled on 10 runs.

Lorenzen (6-11) allowed one run, three hits and three walks while striking out four.

George Springer had a solo home run, two hits and a walk for the Blue Jays (89-65), who have lost three in a row for the first time since late July. Toronto maintained its three-game lead in the American League East as the New York Yankees (86-68) lost 4-2 to the Baltimore Orioles.

Springer led off the first with his 30th homer of the season, a blast to left-center on a 2-2 fastball.

The Royals responded in the bottom of the first with seven runs against Max Scherzer (5-4).

Jensen led off with a double to left and scored on Bobby Witt Jr.’s single to left. Witt stole second and scored on Pasquantino’s double down the left field line.

Maikel Garcia walked on a close pitch, and Toronto pitching coach Pete Walker was ejected after a mound visit. Perez smashed an 0-1 fastball to right for his 30th homer of the season and a 5-1 lead.

Adam Frazier blooped a single to center, and with one out, Massey homered to right on a hanging curve. It was his third of the year.

Jensen hit his second double of the inning with two outs, and Braydon Fisher replaced Scherzer, who allowed seven runs, seven hits and one walk with two strikeouts in two-thirds of an inning. It was Scherzer’s shortest career outing that did not involve an injury.

Kansas City added three in the third against Tommy Nance. Caglianone walked, Massey doubled and Jensen knocked a two-run double into the left-center gap. One out later, Pasquantino hit an RBI single for a 10-1 lead.

Toronto manager John Schneider was ejected in the home sixth for arguing a call on a checked swing.

–Field Level Media