KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - After finding out Jose Reyes likely will be sidelined until the All-Star break, R.A. Dickey won his first game for the Toronto Blue Jays.
The NL Cy Young Award winner allowed one run and five hits in 6 2-3 innings Saturday night, and Jose Bautista backed him with a two-run homer in the Blue Jays' 3-2 win over the Kansas City Royals.
James Shields (1-2) was a hard-luck loser for the Royals, pitching a two-hitter with six strikeouts and three walks.
Acquired from the New York Mets after going 20-6 last season, Dickey was 0-2 with an 8.44 ERA in his first two starts for Toronto. Against the Royals, the knuckleballer struck out four, walked two and hit a batter, throwing 64 of 100 pitches for strikes.
Jarrod Dyson chased Dickey with a two-out double in the seventh. After Darren Oliver relieved, Dyson stole third and scored on Chris Getz's bunt single.
Casey Janssen pitched the ninth for his third save in as many chances, allowing a two-out single to Chris Getz, who took second on defensive indifference and scored on Alex Gordon's single. Alex Escobar followed with a game-ending flyout.
Toronto went ahead when Macier Izturis doubled leading off the third, advanced on Henry Blanco's groundout and scored a sacrifice fly by Munenori Kawasaki, called up from the minors after Reyes severely sprained his left ankle on an awkward slide Friday night.
Kawasaki walked leading off the sixth and scored on Bautista's third home run of the season, a two-out drive. Kawasaki, who batted ninth and played shortstop, hit .295 in six seasons with Fukuoka in Japan's Pacific League, but just .192 with a .202 slugging percentage with one extra-base hit in 104 at-bats last season with Seattle. ...
NOTES: Royals 1B Eric Hosmer has tightness in his right quadriceps and did not start for the second straight night. ... Emilo Bonifacio, who started eight games at second base and batted ninth in eight games, played right field for the first time since Sept. 15, 2011, and batted leadoff. Bautista started at third base for the first time since Aug. 4, 2011. ... Royals 3B Mike Moustakas is hitless in 13 at-bats, dropping his average to .158