Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - John Lackey worked seven effective innings for his first win of the season, lifting the Angels to a 3-1 triumph over the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre.

Lackey (1-0) allowed only one run on seven hits and three walks. He struck out six in his second start since being activated off the disabled list, to give Los Angeles its second straight win in the opener of the three-game series.

Lackey had been sidelined since spring training with a strained biceps, but returned last Wednesday against the Chicago White Sox.

Casey Kotchman was 2-for-4 with an RBI and Vladimir Guerrero knocked in LA's other run.

Toronto starter Dustin McGowan (2-4) went 6 1/3 innings, allowing three runs - two earned - on five hits and four walks to take the loss. It was only Toronto's second loss in its last eight games.

Brad Wilkerson hit his first home run of the season and walked twice, and Marco Scutaro was 2-for-2 with two walks for Toronto.

"We can talk until we're blue in the face," Jays second baseman Aaron Hill said. "We've just got to get the job done. It's not fun when we're not doing it and the pitchers are doing a great job."

Toronto loaded the bases off reliever Scott Shields with no outs in the eighth, but squandered its chances for runs on a strikeout of Matt Stairs followed by a double play groundout from Shannon Stewart.

Francisco Rodriguez came on in the ninth to close it out for LA, but allowed three consecutive one-out walks to load the bases. He came back to get Hill to pop out and got Alex Rios looking at a called third strike to record his major league leading 18th save.

"I was being too fine with the hitters," Rodriguez said. "I think I made pitches at the right moment when I exactly needed it."

LA put a run on the board in the first on a double play groundout from Garret Anderson after the Angels loaded the bases with no outs.

Toronto came right back in the bottom half with a Wilkerson leadoff homer to right-center.

The Angels loaded the bases again in the second with one out, but McGowan got Maicer Izturis to ground out into a force play at home and Gary Matthews Jr. flied out to center.

The Jays came back in the bottom half to load the bases with two out and also failed to capitalize when Hill flied out to center.

LA capitalized with runners in scoring position in the third with an RBI double from Kotchman to take a 2-1 lead. He hit scored Torii Hunter, who doubled with two outs.

The Angels tacked on a run in the seventh when Matthews tripled to deep right-center, chasing McGowan from the game. Guerrero followed with a sacrifice fly off reliever Jason Frasor.