The Toronto Blue Jays ran out of playoff lives Friday, exiting the post-season as the Kansas City Royals gutted out a tense 4-3 victory to win the American League Championship series four games to two.

Jose Bautista was a one-man wrecking crew for Toronto in a playoff thriller driving in three runs with a pair of homers included a two-run shot in the eighth inning that tied it at 3-3 when the Jays were down to their last five outs.

But the Royals answered with a run to end Toronto's season and then held off the Jays in a nail-biting ninth.

"I'm definitely proud of our team," Toronto manager John Gibbons said. "It's been a fun group to be around every day."

"We're all disappointed we're not moving on, that's baseball," he added. "We put up our best fight today."

Kansas City shortstop Alcides Escobar was unanimously selected the ALCS MVP.

There was drama aplenty before a jacked-up Kauffman Stadium crowd of 40,494, including a 45-minute rain delay midway through the eighth.

Cain scores from first

When the game resumed, Toronto closer Roberto Osuna was on the mound. The 20-year-old phenom had been lights out most of the season but he walked Lorenzo Cain, who came home on Eric Hosmer's ensuing single for a 4-3 lead. Kendrys Morales singled to put men on first and second.

A double play ended the inning but the damage was done.

Russell Martin singled off closer Wade Davis to open the ninth. Dalton Pompey came on as a pinch-runner and promptly stole second and then third.

Kevin Pillar worked an eight-pitch walk and stole second, removing the double play opportunity as pinch-hitter Dioner Navarro struck out. Davis then struck out Ben Revere, leaving MVP candidate Josh Donaldson as the Jays' final out and Bautista on deck.

Donaldson, 0 for 4 on the night, grounded out to third in a tense at-bat to end the evening, leaving men on second and third.

For a while it looked like Bautista might rescue Toronto for a second series.

His three-run homer in the seventh inning of Game 5 — marked with a signature bat flip — proved to be the difference as the Jays defeated the Texas Rangers 6-3 to win the series.

The game was played 22 years to the day that Joe Carter's walk-off home run against Phillies reliever Mitch Williams gave Toronto its second straight World Series title.

Bautista did his best to channel Carter this night.

His solo blast 428 feet in the fourth cut the Royals' lead to 2-1. Then, with Toronto down to five outs, he slammed a two-run shot 387 feet that tied the game at 3-3.

There was no bat flip this time. He gently dropped the bat, with more work left to do.

It was Toronto's fifth must-win game of the playoffs and it proved to be one too many for the AL East champions, ending a remarkable season that saw the Jays reload at the trade deadline and dominate after the all-star break.

But they could not dethrone the Royals, who ultimately won with timely hitting from a deep, diverse offence and a better bullpen.

Kansas City claimed its second straight AL pennant — and the fourth in franchise history — while earning a date with the waiting New York Mets in the World Series. The Royals lost the Series in seven games to San Francisco last year.