KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Here we go again? Oh my, the Royals certainly hope not.

But opening May with a loss, 7-3 to the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday night, might prompt a few reluctant recollections of that bitter month last year when the Royals had an 8-20 record that threw a monkey wrench into their season.

Of course, this is just one day into May and the Royals had been giving every indication of building momentum with three straight victories and four in their previous five games.

They hit a bump on a 53-degree evening at Kauffman Stadium as the Blue Jays broke open a tight game with a three-run eighth inning against relievers Michael Mariot and Louis Coleman.

It was Colby Rasmus’ solo home run to right field in the sixth inning off right-hander Jeremy Guthriethat gave the Blue Jays a 4-3 lead. When Guthrie got the third out by catching Jose Reyes’ line drive, he walked toward the dugout and flung the ball into the empty seats of the second deck.

It was Guthrie’s last toss. His night, as it turned out, was over.

Juan Francisco’s two-run homer in the Blue Jays’ fourth inning was the biggest blow as the teams were tied, 3-3, after five innings. His 421-foot smash to right field off Guthrie came after Edwin Encarnacion’s walk.

The Blue Jays got a run in the first inning when ex-Royal Chris Getz singled, stole second and third, and scored on a groundout.

Left-hander Mark Buehrle, who picked up his 24th career win over Kansas City, gave up single runs in the second, third and fifth. He bowed out after 6 2/3 innings.

The Royals’ third got off a very promising start as Omar Infante walked, Eric Hosmer doubled andBilly Butler singled. Just one run scored, however, as Hosmer was thrown out at the plate by left fielder Anthony Gose.

Butler drove in a second run in the fifth with a double, chasing in Infante who had singled. The Royals got an unearned run in the second inning as right fielder Jose Bautista let Alcides Escobar’s single roll through him.