The Los Angeles Angels used record-tying contributions from two of their stars to avoid a sweep at the Royals’ hands and pick up a game on division-leading Texas.
Torii Hunter tied a career high with seven RBI, Joel Pineiro posted his sixth straight win and the Angels beat the Kansas City nine 11-0 in Anaheim, Calif., Sunday night.
With the win, Los Angeles (46-38) drew to within 3.5 games of first-place Texas, which lost to the White Sox earlier Sunday, in the AL West race. Pineiro pitched seven scoreless innings, winning his sixth straight decision for the first time since June and July 2003. He had lost his last three starts against the Royals.
In a rare national television appearance for Kansas City on Independence Day, the Royals mustered eight hits but left 11 runners on base.
Hunter and Los Angeles jumped in front for good in the fourth inning. Bobby Abreu’s sacrifice fly to the wall in center plated Jeff Mathis, who had singled.
After Erick Aybar singled and Howie Kendrick drew a walk, Hunter hit a long drive just inside the left-field foul pole for a 4-0 edge.
Three innings later, Mike Napoli hit a sac fly to score Hunter, who had walked. Paul McAnulty, who was recalled earlier Sunday, then hit his first homer of the season, a long drive to right-center, to score Hideki Matsui, who had singled, to go up 7-0.
Hunter then hit his second homer of the night in the seventh, a two-run shot to center to score Reggie Willits, who had walked.
Hunter’s two-out, two-run single in the eighth plated Aybar, who reached on an infield single, and Kendrick, who also singled, to mercifully end the scoring at 11-0.
Pineiro (9-6) allowed six hits and four walks, with three strikeouts. Hunter went 3-for-4, while Aybar, Kendrick, Matsui and Mathis all had two hits.
One game after beating the White Sox for his first career win, Kansas City starter Anthony Lerew (1-2) allowed six runs on six hits over five frames, with two walks and three strikeouts.
David DeJesus and Mike Aviles were each 2-for-4 for the Royals (36-46). Billy Butler singled in the top of the third for his 500th career hit. The 24-year-old is the youngest active player to reach the mark.
The Royals, who saw their season-long three-game winning streak end, have won three straight series.
NOTES: Kansas City hasn’t won four consecutive games since Sept. 7-11 of last season. … Pineiro has allowed only 10 runs in his last 43 1-3 innings. … The Angels have won 16 of their last 21 games against the Royals. … Kansas City’s Scott Podsednik’s two-out ninth-inning single extended his hitting streak to seven games. … McAnulty was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake earlier Sunday. … The Royals’ Albert Callaspo sat out for the second straight game with a slight bone bruise on his left wrist. … L.A.’s Juan Rivera missed his fourth straight game with a stress-related left eye ailment. … The Angels’ Cory Aldridge made his first appearance since Oct. 7, 2001, with Atlanta. … The Royals sit in fourth place in the Central, trailing Detroit and Minnesota by eight games. … The Angels head to Chicago for a four-game series with the White Sox. Trevor Bell, who was optioned to Salt Lake Friday, will reportedly be recalled to start Monday afternoon. Kansas City next travels to Seattle. Brian Bannister will pitch the opener of the three-game set Monday night.
BOX SCORE
Photo above: The Angels' Torii Hunter (48) rounds third base in front of Kansas City's Wilson Betemit (46) after homering Sunday. (Jae C. Hong/AP)
Video credit – ESPN
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