Toronto ? Perhaps the Kansas City Royals were worried about contracting the SARS virus or maybe they were just off-kilter.

Either way, their five-game winning streak came to an end.

Vernon Wells homered in the ninth inning, helping Toronto beat the Royals, 6-5, Friday night at SkyDome.

A crowd of 16,417, the largest since opening day, turned out two days after the World Health Organization warned against travel to Toronto because of the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome. A couple of fans were shown on the JumboTron holding up a sign that read: “What SARS?”

“It’s good to see the fans come out,” Wells said. “They came out to Maple Leaf games, and they weren’t worried about SARS. I looked around and there were a few more people in the stands than before.”

Michael Tucker, Angel Berroa and Brent Mayne homered for the Royals, whose 16-3 record coming in was the best in the major leagues.

Mike Bordick drove in two runs for the Blue Jays, who returned home following a 3-8 road trip.

“It was a nice crowd,” Toronto manager Carlos Tosca said. “I’m glad we were able to give them something to come back tomorrow for, if they choose to do that.”

After Toronto third baseman Eric Hinske allowed Mayne to reach on a throwing error in the ninth, pinch-hitter Ken Harvey later hit an RBI single off Kelvim Escobar (1-1) to tie it at 5-all.

Kansas City's Michael Tucker misses a pop fly as a young fan wearing a mask for protection from the SARS virus reaches out with a glove. Friday's game in Toronto was the first since a World Health Organization warning against travel there. The Royals lost to the Blue Jays, 6-5.

Wells, who went 3-for-4, led off the bottom half of the inning with homer off D.J. Carrasco (1-1).

“We’ve been doing a real good job of coming back this season, but I just didn’t give us a chance to do it tonight,” Carrasco said.

Toronto’s Roy Halladay allowed four runs — three earned — in six-plus innings. The Royals’ Darrell May gave up four runs and five hits in 2 2/3 innings.

Carlos Beltran had an RBI single in the first, but Mike Bordick hit a two-run double in the second.

Tucker’s homer tied it in the third, but Wells tripled in the bottom half and scored on Delgado’s double. Dave Berg’s RBI double made it 4-2 and Phelps added an RBI single in the fourth.

Berroa homered off Toronto starter Roy Halladay in the fifth, and Mayne homered off Halladay in the seventh.

Notes: Delgado returned to the lineup after missing one game because of a swollen left eye. Tampa Bay’s Damion Easley kneed Delgado in the face as Delgado tried to break the double play Wednesday. … Sandy Alderson, executive vice president of baseball operations in the commissioner’s office, and Gene Orza, the No. 2 official of the players’ association, attended the game. Both said the risk from SARS was minimal. … The Royals are 6-4 on the road. They are 10-0 at Kauffman Stadium.