Music: {allcanada} CANADIAN FRANCIS PITCHES SIX INNINGS AS ROYALS BEAT JAYS

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TORONTO -- Left-hander Jeff Francis of North Delta, B.C., pitched six strong innings and Melky Cabrera had three hits including a home run as the Kansas City Royals beat the Toronto Blue Jays 9-6 on Thursday.

Billy Butler had four hits, including a two-run double in the eighth against Shawn Camp, as the Royals won the rubber match of the three-game series with a 16-hit attack.

Francis (5-14) allowed two runs and six hits, including J.P. Arencibia's 20th home run in the seventh. Francis pitched to three batters in the seventh without getting an out.

Francis came in 0-3 with an 8.27 ERA in his past four outings but was solid in his first career start in Canada. He improved to 3-0 with a 2.37 ERA in three career starts against Toronto.

Toronto left-hander Brett Cecil (4-7) allowed nine hits and five runs in 6 1/3 innings. His outing was finished when Cabrera hit his 17th homer in the seventh.

Edwin Encarnacion hit his 13th homer of the season against Joakim Soria with two out in the ninth for Toronto.

The Royals (54-77) reached Cecil for a run in the third on a leadoff double by Salvador Perez and a two-out single by Johnny Giavotella.

The Blue Jays (66-64) could not take advantage of a two-out triple by Eric Thames in the third. Jose Bautista was walked intentionally for the 19th time this year and Encarnacion, who batted fourth with Adam Lind dropped to fifth, flew out to right.

The Royals added a run in the fourth on a leadoff double by Butler that dropped just fair between charging second baseman Kelly Johnson and right-fielder Bautista. Mike

Moustakas singled him home with two out.

Cabrera hit the Royals third leadoff double of the game in the sixth, took third on Butler's single and scored on a one-out single up the middle by Jeff Francoeur to put Kansas City ahead 3-0.

After Moustakas forced Francoeur at second, Perez singled to score Butler. Perez took second on the throw to third and Mitch Maier walked to load the bases. Cecil ended the rally by striking out Alcides Escobar.

The Blue Jays could not take advantage of Bautista's leadoff double in the sixth. Francis struck out Encarnacion and Lind before ending the inning on a fly to the centre-field wall by Brett Lawrie.

The Royals loaded the bases against Camp in the seventh after Cabrera's homer chased Cecil. But he got a force at home and a groundout to end the threat.

Johnson, making his debut with Toronto after being acquired in a trade with Arizona on Tuesday, led off the home seventh with his first Blue Jay hit and Arencibia homered to cut Kansas City's lead to 5-2.

Francis was removed after Mike McCoy's single and Greg Holland took over.

The Royals scored twice in the eighth to lead 7-2 and the Blue Jays again cut the lead to three in the bottom inning on Encarnacion's double, Lawrie's triple and Arencibia's sacrifice fly.

Arencibia dropped a foul ball in the ninth and Moustakas took advantage of the reprieve to drive in a run with a double against Rommie Lewis. Maier lined a sacrifice fly to right as Bautista made a superb catch over his head.

Johnson was making his first start for the Blue Jays and batted seventh. He was acquired in a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks who received second baseman Aaron Hill and infielder John McDonald.

Johnson had an interesting two days after the trade. The Diamondbacks were in Washington when the trade took place and he found out about the time the earthquake hit.

"Actually, right after I found out I was traded I was in my hotel, I was on the phone with my agent and the room was just rocking and shaking," Johnson said. "So I'm having to go through that earthquake. I had no idea what was going on, already getting traded. I was already in shock and now I'm getting thrown around my room. It was crazy.

"I had to get on a flight back to Phoenix, I had to get a passport. I don't travel with that regularly. I'm going to start. Then I had to come up here."

In coming to Toronto, Johnson is reunited with his double play partner, shortstop Yunel Escobar, who played with him for the Atlanta Braves.

"He's awesome," Johnson said. "The guy can play. He's one of the best shortstops in the game, has fun, plays hard every single day. So it's good to have that familiar face for sure."

Notes: Attendance at Rogers Centre was 17,355. ....With Johnson's arrival, outfielder Darin Mastroianni was returned to triple-A Las Vegas after playing one game, Wednesday. McCoy played centre field on Thursday with centre fielder Colby Rasmus still out with a sore right wrist. ...Arencibia's 20th homer of the season equalled the franchise record for a catcher set last season by John Buck. ...Francoeur suffered a bruised knee when hit by a pitch in the ninth. ....Right-hander Henderson Alvarez (0-1, 4.32 ERA) makes his fourth career major-league start for the Blue Jays on Friday against James Shields (11-10, 3.05 ERA) in the opener of a four-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays.