(My Sportsbook) - The Toronto Blue Jays try to avoid their first losing streak of the season this evening when they play the second test of their four-game series with the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium.

In the opener of this set on Monday, Brian Bannister threw seven innings of one-run, one-hit ball, and Jose Guillen hit a pair of home runs to lead Kansas City to a 7-1 victory. Guillen finished 3-for-4 with three RBI, while Miguel Olivo chipped in a three-run homer for the Royals, who had lost three of four.

Bannister (2-0), coming off six scoreless innings in his first start of the season, walked six but retired 13 of the final 14 batters he faced.

David Purcey (0-2) was roughed up for six runs on eight hits and three walks over five innings for the Blue Jays, who lost for only the second time in their last six tries.

The loss, though, dropped Toronto percentage points behind the red-hot Boston Red Sox for first place in the AL East.

Getting the call for Kansas City tonight will be right-hander Gil Meche, who is 1-1 with a 2.63 earned run average. Meche absorbed his first loss of the season on Thursday in Cleveland, as the Indians reached him for four runs (three earned) and five hits in 7 1/3 innings.

Meche, though, has lost his last three starts to the Jays and is 4-6 lifetime against them with a 4.82 ERA in 13 games (12 starts).

Toronto will counter with righty Scott Richmond, who has won his last two starts. Richmond defeated the Texas Rangers on Thursday, as he allowed a pair of runs and six hits in six innings to improve to 2-0 on the year, while lowering his ERA to 3.31.

Richmond has never faced the Royals.

Kansas City beat the Blue Jays the first two times the teams met last season, but Toronto won the final five meetings.