KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Scott Downs has a simple formula for winning -- keeping the ball down.

Downs allowed only one run in 7 2/3 innings by doing just that Monday night, as the Cubs defeated the Kansas City Royals 3-1, Chicago's season-high fourth straight win.

"I was just trying to throw strikes and let the defense play," Downs said. "The main thing is keeping the ball down. When you have an aggressive ballclub, you keep the ball down, and they'll hit a lot of groundballs.

"We made some big plays defensively. We stopped balls from getting in the hole. Eric Young made some great plays up the middle. When you have defense like that, very rarely do you get guys to third."

Downs (4-3) gave up seven hits, struck out one and walked two in 7 2/3 innings, matching the longest outing of his career. Joe Randa, who scored Kansas City's only run in the second and was tagged out at home in the seventh, was the only runner Downs allowed past second base.

"It was a well-pitched game," Cubs manager Don Baylor said. "(Kansas City starter Chad) Durbin started out a little shaky, but he mixed his pitches well after that. My guy hadn't been out there in about six days. I didn't know what kind of control he would have.

"When he threw strikes he got a lot of groundballs, he made us make plays on defense. When you're in a ballgame 3-1, you're always going to find good defense."

Rick Aguilera got three outs for his 19th save in 25 chances for the Cubs, who won their third straight series for the first time since last May.

Durbin (2-4) gave up three runs on seven hits in seven innings.

Chicago jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first inning for the second straight game. Young led off with a walk and stole second. He went to third on Mark Grace's single and scored on Sammy Sosa's double to left that advanced Grace to third. Grace scored on Henry Rodriguez's sacrifice fly.

"Without the first inning, it would have been an even game," Durbin said. "I was pumped up. I wanted to pitch against them real bad. I was a little bit of a Cubs fan growing up, so that was on top of everything else.

"After that I relaxed and settled into a groove."

The Royals answered with one in the second. Randa hit a one-hop double off the wall in right and advanced to third on a groundout by Mark Quinn. He scored on Dave McCarty's single.

The Cubs got another run in the fourth, but could have had more. Rodriguez led off with a double and scored on Glenallen Hill's single, but Hill was doubled off first when McCarty snared Willie Greene's liner.

Jeff Reed then doubled off the left-center field wall, but was stranded when Damon Buford grounded out.

Randa led off the seventh with a double and went to third on Quinn's infield grounder. But when McCarty grounded back to the pitcher, Randa was thrown out easily at home, curtailing Kansas City's rally.

"We are struggling some," Kansas City manager Tony Muser said. "When we pitch well, we don't score. When we score a few runs, we don't pitch well."

BlurGame notes
Kansas City is assured of its ninth series loss in 10. ... The Royals (40-50) dropped to a season-worst 10 games below .500. The Royals also fell to 5-34 in games in which they scored four or fewer runs. ... Sosa, who went 2-for-4, extended his hitting streak to 10 games. ... The Cubs won three straight games three previous times this season. ... This marked the first time since June 29 against Cleveland that Royals pitchers did not allow a home run -- a span of 13 games.