Toronto ? Roy Halladay made quick work of the worst team in baseball.

Halladay pitched his AL-leading third complete game of the season, and Toronto beat the struggling Kansas City Royals, 3-1, Tuesday night in game that took just 1 hour, 44 minutes — the Blue Jays’ shortest of the season.

“I tried to get them to put the ball in play as early as I could,” Halladay said. “We knew they have a lot of guys that swing early.”

Shea Hillenbrand hit a two-run homer for the Blue Jays, who struggled before playing the major-league-worst Royals. Toronto has won two straight against Kansas City after losing their previous four games overall.

Halladay (5-2) allowed one run and eight hits while striking out five and walking none for his 18th career complete game and his first since April 29 against the New York Yankees.

The 2003 AL Cy Young Award winner followed a brilliant three-hitter in that victory over Randy Johnson and the Yankees with a lackluster effort in a 5-1 loss to Baltimore on Wednesday.

“Roy’s a bulldog out there. You know he’s going to come right at you with his power sinker and power cutter and big 12-to-6 curveball, that’s why he won the Cy Young,” Kansas City first baseman Mike Sweeney said. “He threw a complete game in an hour and 44 minutes.”