KANSAS CITY, Mo., July 29 (UPI) -- Paul Byrd pitched a four-hitter Monday night for his fourth straight complete game and Carlos Beltran homered as the Kansas City Royals ended a six-game losing streak with a 4-1 triumph over the Toronto Blue Jays.
Byrd (14-7) became the American League's third 14-game winner with his fourth consecutive home victory. The righthander is 6-2 with a 2.08 ERA in his last eight starts.
Beltran gave the Royals a 2-0 lead with a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning and with Chuck Knoblauch on in the eighth, hit his 16th homer to give Kansas City a three-run cushion.
Chris Carpenter (4-2) yielded four runs -- two earned -- and seven hits in eight innings and was tagged with the loss.
The loss was the fourth straight for the Blue Jays.
