Kansas City, Mo. ? Brian Bannister cuts to the chase with his disdain for issuing free passes: “I like walks about as much as I like high gas prices.”

He matched a career high with six of them Monday night, but didn’t allow a hit until the fifth inning. Mark Teahen hit a three-run homer and the Kansas City Royals beat the Colorado Rockies, 8-4, for their eighth victory in nine games.

Bannister (7-6) hasn’t lost since May 22 and survived his bout of wildness to last seven innings for the fourth time in his past five starts. He gave up three hits and three runs, all unearned, while striking out five.

“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,” Bannister said. “I’m always disappointed when I walk somebody. We got some double plays when we needed them and that was the key of the game.”

The Royals’ hot streak has all come against National League clubs, and their 10-3 record is the best in interleague play.

Teahen has eight home runs, one more than last season, and his two-out shot with Mike Aviles and Alex Gordon aboard highlighted a four-run first for the Royals.

The Royals have scored 19 runs the past two games.

Miguel Olivo snapped an 0-for-21 skid with a run-scoring double in the fifth to chase Jeff Francis. Ross Gload homered in the eighth for the final Kansas City run, his first home run since Sept. 3, 2007, at Texas, a span of 225 at-bats.