TORONTO -- The Kansas City Royals needed six games to dash the Toronto Blue Jays' post-season hopes. Kansas City clinched the pennant with a 4-3 victory over Toronto on Friday night at Kauffman Stadium.

Here is a look back at five key moments in the American League Championship Series:

STEADY EDDIE

The Kansas City Royals wanted to make an early statement on their home turf in the series opener. Starting pitcher Edinson Volquez was up to the task from the moment he stepped to the mound.

He stifled the powerful Toronto lineup over six innings and three relievers helped complete the 5-0 shutout.

Compared to the homer-happy Rogers Centre, the wall seemed a mile away from home plate at Kauffman Stadium. That suited the plucky Royals just fine as they chipped away at Blue Jays starter Marco Estrada and took advantage of their opportunities.

The Blue Jays managed only three hits on the day and any momentum from their five-game division series win over Texas was snuffed.

FEELING BLUE

Second baseman Ryan Goins took the heat after Toronto's Game 2 loss. There was plenty of blame to go around.

With the Blue Jays up by three runs and starter David Price rolling along, Goins called off outfielder Jose Bautista when Ben Zobrist lifted a fly ball into shallow right field.

Goins backed off at the last second and the ball dropped in. The Royals took advantage of the freebie and went on to post five runs in the frame en route to a 6-3 victory.

It could be argued that Bautista should have called off Goins and made the catch himself. The play also overshadowed Price's struggles on the mound that inning -- he allowed hits to four of the next six batters and gave up the lead.

RYAN'S REDEMPTION

After the Game 2 defeat, no one wanted to step up more than Toronto's Ryan Goins. He did just that in Game 3 at Rogers Centre.

Goins worked a nine-pitch at-bat off Royals starter Johnny Cueto in the second inning before lining a ball to left field that scored a pair of runs. Cueto quickly unravelled and was pulled in the next frame with eight earned runs on his pitching line.

The Blue Jays held a comfortable lead for most of the game before holding on for the 11-8 win, putting them right back in the best-of-seven series.

NO RELIEF

R.A. Dickey's poor Game 4 outing not only put the Blue Jays in an early hole, it also took a significant toll on a depleted bullpen.

Reliever Liam Hendriks did very well over four-plus innings but the absence of left-handers Brett Cecil (calf) and Aaron Loup (personal) was felt later in the game.

Toronto manager John Gibbons ruled out Aaron Sanchez and Roberto Osuna since they pitched in Game 3 and he wanted to save them for Game 5.

LaTroy Hawkins, Ryan Tepera and Mark Lowe combined to give up nine runs in the 14-2 loss. It got so bad that backup infielder Cliff Pennington had to make his big-league pitching debut in the ninth inning.

However, the mess all started with Dickey's 1 2/3-inning dud.

BATS BOMBS

Bautista managed to silence the Kauffman Stadium crowd on two occasions in Friday night's Game 6.

His first homer was a solo shot and made the sellout crowd nervous. His second blast was a game-tying two-run blast in the top of the eighth inning and it changed the complexion of the game.

However, a 45-minute rain delay may have snuffed Toronto's momentum.

When play resumed, the Royals scored a go-ahead run in the bottom half of the frame and it held up as the difference.