Kansas City, MO (My Sportsbook) - Blue Jays starter A.J. Burnett tossed 7 1/3 innings of one-run, three-hit ball in his return from the disabled list to help Toronto to a 4-1 win over the Kansas City Royals in the third of a four- game set.

Burnett (6-6) was making his first start since June 28, having strained his right shoulder one day after being activated from a prior DL stint. He walked three and struck out five in the win.

Brian Wolfe, Scott Downs and Jeremy Accardo combined to hold the Royals scoreless in the eighth and ninth and preserve Beckett's win. Accardo got his 22nd save of the season.

Gregg Zaun went 2-for-4 and scored a pair of runs, and Lyle Overbay was 3- for-5 with two RBI for Toronto, which has won three of four. Rightfielder Alex Rios reached base three times and scored a run.

Brian Bannister (8-7) took the loss for Kansas City, getting chased with two outs in the fifth after allowing three runs on seven hits and walking three.

Alex Gordon hit a solo home run in the eighth inning, his tenth of the season, for the Royals, who have dropped seven of their last eleven.

The Blue Jays picked up a run in the third when Rios led off with a triple to right and scored on a Vernon Wells sacrifice fly.

Rios then thwarted the Royals' best scoring opportunity in the bottom half of the third when he threw out David DeJesus at the plate on Mark Grudzielanek's single to right for the third out of the inning.

Toronto added a pair of runs in the fourth. Zaun got things started with a one-out double. Ron Olmedo advanced Zaun to third with a ground ball to second, and Matt Stairs worked a two-out walk to set the table for Overbay. The Jays' first baseman then drove home Zaun and Stairs with a line drive double to left, giving Toronto a 3-0 advantage.

Another double by Zaun in the sixth led to another Toronto run. The Jays executed perfectly, moving Zaun to third on a sacrifice bunt by Olmedo, and scoring him with a sac fly from Stairs.

Game Notes

Burnett threw just 90 pitches, 56 of them strikes...Toronto ensures that it will not lose the series against Kansas City, extending a streak of series victories against the Royals dating back to 2001...Rios added to his team- leading total of 86 runs scored, good for fifth overall in the AL...Toronto starters are now 19-9 since July 1...Wells went hitless, and remains one hit shy of tying Joe Carter (1,051) for fifth on the Jays' all-time list...Stairs has a nine-game hitting streak...Stairs' double extends a streak of 19 consecutive games in which Toronto has had a double.