The ten runs the Royals scored on Sunday seemed a galaxy away on Monday as they opened up their series in Toronto with a 6-1 loss. Kansas City was held to just seven hits in the defeat, while the bullpen allowed the game to get out of control.

Starter Runelvys Hernandez gave up just two runs through five innings of work; both came in the second inning. After putting two men on base, Blue Jays right fielder Alex Rios to grounded to third, but Mark Teahen committed a fielding error and Rios was safe at first as Eric Hinske scored. Later in the inning Ken Huckaby drove in Vernon Wells with a single to make it 2-0 Toronto.

After that Hernandez was able to keep the Blue Jays in check, but he was struck in the upper right arm by a Corey Koskie line drive in the fifth inning. He finished out the frame, but was replaced by manager Tony Pena in the bottom of the sixth. After the game Hernandez said he was fine.

Coming into the bottom half of the inning, the Royals cut the lead to one run when second baseman Joe McEwing grounded out to shortstop and John Buck scored from third. However the feeling of hope soon vanished when reliever Kyle Snyder was battered around for 2/3’s of an inning. He was charged with four runs off four hits and never made it out of the sixth. Jaime Cerda relieved Snyder and got the final out of the inning. No one scored the rest of the game.

The only person who was remotely excited after the game was probably reliever Leo Nunez, who made his major league debut after getting called up from Class-AA Wichita. The 21-year old pitched a perfect ninth inning, getting two strikeouts. He replaces Brian Anderson, who went on the disabled list with a sore elbow.