Springer's two homers, Manoah's return lift Blue Jays past Royals 4-0

On a Saturday evening in Kansas City, a veteran outfielder and a young pitcher returning from injury reminded us that baseball, at its best, is a conversation between preparation and opportunity. George Springer answered the first pitch of the game with a home run, and Alek Manoah answered the doubt that follows any injury with seven innings of near-perfect control, as the Toronto Blue Jays quieted the Royals 4-0 for their third straight victory. In the arc of a long season, such performances carry weight beyond the box score — they are moments when a team announces, quietly but unmistakably,