Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) - Mark Teahen hit a three-run homer in the first inning to help the Kansas City Royals pound the Colorado Rockies, 8-4, in the opener of a three-game interleague set at Kauffman Stadium.

Jose Guillen went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, two runs scored and two driven in while Alex Gordon scored twice for the Royals, who have won three straight and eight of nine.

Brian Bannister (7-6) won his third straight decision as he gave up three runs -- none earned -- on three hits with six walks and five strikeouts in seven innings.

"I like walks about as much as I like high gas prices," said Bannister. "It's the worst thing in baseball for me as a pitcher because you're giving a guy a free pass. You're not even making him swing the bat."

Kansas City has won eight of its last nine games against the National League and is 10-3 in interleague play this year.

Matt Holliday hit a two-run homer and scored twice while Jeff Francis (3-7) was tagged with the loss for giving up seven runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings for the Rockies, who have dropped three of their last four.

The Royals jumped out to a lead in the first inning. David DeJesus led off the frame with a triple and then came home on a double from Mike Aviles. Gordon followed with a walk, and three batters later Teahen blasted a shot over the wall in left-center for a 4-0 advantage.

"The last two outings have been better, but today I should have been able to get out of it with just one run," said Francis. "I made a bad pitch to Teahen and the next thing you know it's four runs later."

Colorado had the bases loaded, courtesy of walks, in the second inning with one out, but Bannister induced a double play from Clint Barmes to end the frame.

Kansas City upped its lead to 5-0 in the third as Guillen hit a one-out shot into the bullpen in left field.

Bannister carried a no-hitter into the fifth, but Colorado ended that in the inning and plated three runs to get back into the contest. Chris Iannetta led off with a walk and Barmes then reached base on a error from left fielder Esteban German. After Willy Taveras hit into a 5-3 double play, Jeff Baker broke up the no-hitter with a single to center to score Barmes. Holliday followed with a blast over the center field wall to make it a 5-3 contest.

However, the Royals got the runs back in the bottom of the fifth. Aviles led off with an infield single, but was forced out at second on a grounder from Gordon. Guillen followed with a double to right-center that plated Gordon and Miguel Olivo then belted a double to left that plated Guillen for a 7-3 advantage.

The Rockies made it a three-run game in the eighth as Holliday led off with a double, moved to third on a wild pitch from Horacio Ramirez and crossed the plate as Todd Helton grounded out.

Kansas City got the run back in the bottom of the inning on a two-out, solo homer from Ross Gload and Ramon Ramirez worked the ninth to close out the contest.