KANSAS CITY – Unlike in Toronto, the ballpark in Kansas City is not a domed stadium. But the roof caved in on the Blue Jays anyway.

There the Blue Jays were, leading 3-0 in the seventh inning, cruising behind starter David Price and just nine outs from evening the ALCS. Then everything crashed down. Second baseman Ryan Goins called off a popup to short right field, then let it drop for a single. Price was unable to wipe that mistake away, as he allowed four more hits and five runs without getting out of the inning.

When the game was over, Toronto lost 6-3 to Kansas City and fell behind the Royals 0-2 in the ALCS.

“We definitely felt like we had the game," catcher Russell Martin said, “but in baseball, you have to get 27 outs."

Here in Kansas City, the Blue Jays only got 24 outs in Games 1 and 2, even though, for a while Saturday, it looked like Price was going to get outs for as long as he pitched.

Price led the American League in ERA this season and is a former Cy Young winner, yet he entered the game with a 1-6 record and a 5.44 postseason ERA since 2010. His one victory was only because R.A. Dickey did not pitch long enough to qualify for the win in Game 4 of the division series.

Making just his second start in two weeks, Price gave up a single on his first pitch but dominated after that. He retired 18 consecutive batters and struck out seven to take that 3-0 lead into the seventh. He was in complete control. Then the sky began to fall -- or, at least, Ben Zobrist’s pop fly fell.

Zobrist led off the bottom of the seventh with a fly to short right. Goins ran out while right fielder Jose Bautista ran in. Goins waved his arms twice to indicate the ball was his, then backed off at the last second, and the ball dropped for a single.

Goins, who has made some excellent plays this postseason, said he lost track of how far he went into right field and he should not have waived off Bautista. He also thought he heard something, but it wasn’t Bautista calling for the ball. He took full responsibility and said the play “is on me."

Bautista was less forthcoming about the play. He told reporters there was video of it, so just watch that. He also said there was no confusion on the play, though there clearly was.

Price said he did not let the dropped ball get to him mentally, but for whatever reason, that hit was the beginning of the downfall. Price gave up four more hits in the inning, including Alex Gordon’s two-out double on a 3-2 pitch that gave Kansas City the lead. After that, he was done.

“I don’t think I struggled," Price said. “But it was frustrating."

“They were looking for that one crack because David was so good," manager John Gibbons said.

Price has now lost all seven of his postseason starts, which ties the record for most consecutive postseason losses by a starter. That is not good. On the other hand, the person he tied is Randy Johnson, who recovered to win several huge games in the 2001 postseason and become that year’s World Series co-MVP. These things happen, and they can end.

Should Gibbons have gone to his bullpen earlier, when Price started to give up the hits? No, because Price wasn’t exactly being overwhelmed by the Kansas City batters and Gibbons has few options in the bullpen, particularly from the left side, after Brett Cecil tore a muscle during the division series. Aaron Loup is the only lefty available, and he showed how shaky he can be by walking two batters and allowing a run-scoring single in his short outing in the eighth inning. The Royals, on the other hand, have an almost unbeatable bullpen.

The Blue Jays are going to need their starters to come through in Game 3 (Marcus Stroman) and Game 4 (Dickey). They will also need their offense to rebound.

The Blue Jays did not display their considerable power the first two games, as they failed to get an extra-base hit in the Game 1 shutout. Then they were held to three runs Saturday. The team that led the league in home runs failed to homer in Kansas City. Was that because of the spacious Kansas City ballpark or tough pitching by the Royals? Probably the latter, as the Jays didn’t really hit that many balls near the wall.

Still, Troy Tulowitzki had two hits to snap an 0-for stretch, and Edwin Encarnacion returned to action with two hits, despite his injured left middle finger.

“I will try to do the best I can do," Encarnacion said. "I will keep doing my training and bat Monday."

Returning to Toronto, with its domed stadium that boosts production, could help as well. And let's not forget the Jays rallied from two down in the division series against Texas.

“It’s a best-out-of-seven series this time -- not a best-out-of-five -- so our backs are not that far against the wall like last time," Bautista said. “We still have more of a chance to come out victorious in this series than we did in the last series."

Just as long as that aging roof doesn’t collapse.