A few hours before the Royals took on the Blue Jays in the opening game of a four-game series, manager Mike Matheny said that the club had been playing pretty well and was showing glimpses of how it can truly play.

Eyes were on Jakob Junis, who was starting against a Toronto lineup that can do damage. But it was the Kansas City lineup that decided it was time to share a glimpse of its run-scoring power in the Royals’ 7-5 win Thursday night at Kauffman Stadium.

• Box score

“A couple of big hits, but it just made us realize again how quick it can slip away from you if you're not careful,” Matheny said of the ninth inning, when the potential go-ahead run reached the plate for Toronto in Vladimir Guerrero Jr. “That's a good offense over there.”

The Royals hit three doubles in a four-run fourth inning that proved to be the difference after Toronto tacked on runs late in the game. Hanser Alberto led the Royals with two hits after being a late addition to the lineup, replacing Kyle Isbel in the eighth spot less than two hours before the game started.

“I know when they're gonna need me,” Alberto said of his ability to prepare for a game with short notice. “They told me later today that I was going to be in the lineup. It wasn't a surprise for me, I was ready."

Alberto being added to the lineup came down to which pitcher Toronto sent to the mound, and it worked out well for the Royals in the end. Alberto scored two runs, while left-hander Anthony Kay couldn’t make it out of the fourth inning as the Royals piled on runs.

"This guy is a good ballplayer ... he's been putting together great at-bats,” Matheny said. “We're going to see a good bit of him. The way he plays third base, as well, you just feel very comfortable with him no matter where he is really in the infield."

Alberto’s single in the third and double in the fourth registered as hard-hits, according to Statcast. His bat was vital for the Royals to come out on top.

Even with one fewer hit than the Blue Jays, the Royals did enough to extend their win streak to three games. Three of the Royals’ seven runs were unearned, coming on two fielding errors by third baseman Cavan Biggio.

Between capitalizing on errors and staying within the confines of the field, the Royals are finding ways to win. It’s a long season that will test the lineup in more ways than one, but hitters are finding their way to support dominant outings from starting pitchers while also pushing across insurance runs for the bullpen.

Hunter Dozier, Nicky Lopez and Alberto -- the Royals’ hitters in the bottom of the order -- combined for five hits and five runs to carry the offense for the sixth win in their last 10 games.

As a team, the Royals have a slash line of .247/.313/.389. Their batting average is fifth-best in the American League, while their 11 home runs are the lowest among teams in the AL.

The Royals distanced themselves from the Indians in the AL Central with the win, sitting a half-game ahead of them in first place. This is the first time the Royals have had sole possession of first place at least 10 games into the season since 2016.