The Los Angeles Angels may be in the wrong place and facing the wrong opponent to avoid their longest road skid in 46 years, though they could be facing the right pitcher.
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Los Angeles Angels pitcher Garrett Richards tried to keep the team close allowing three runs in six innings, but again the offense could not get on track as Richards left the game trailing 3-1.
Holland earned his 26th save after following Ryan Madson and Kelvin Herrera, who worked scoreless innings.
All-Star reliever Wade Davis and Holland combined to cough up a four-run lead in a 7-6 loss on Thursday night, with Holland surrendering four runs without recording an out.
Street had slightly less trouble, hanging on after Hosmer’s home run and with a unusual mix of players behind him. They have been on a bit of a dry streak over their last 10 games. “No matter what I threw, they were hitting it”. “This baby was definitely a curveball – but a good one“. Mike Trout, who ripped an RBI double on Friday, has nine hits in his last eight games following a brutal 1-for-20 stretch to begin the month of August.
Cueto allowed a run on five hits in the first two innings, but that was it. Cueto limited the Angels to eight hits, three by Johnny Giavotella, over eight innings.
He committed his fifth error with a miscue that preceded Eric Hosmer’s go-ahead two-run homer in the sixth inning in Friday’s 4-1 defeat.
Mike Sweeney was once told by one of his own coaches he had “zero percent” chance of making the Kansas City Royals out of spring training and to make sure he packed lightly if he showed up in Florida.
Pujols’ resurgence has been a major story as he has reached 30 homers for the first time in three seasons. He spent the first 13 years with Kansas City, the club that drafted in the 10th round in 1991 as a high school catcher from California.
“If Jeff King had not retired and Jeremy Giambi had not been racing motorcycles, I wouldn’t be here today”, Sweeney said with a broad smile. Down 5-1 going into the eighth inning against the Royals’ bullpen.
The Angels also got a pair of base runners caught in rundowns in the seventh inning, which proved costly when Madson issued back-to-back walks to load the bases. Drew Butera is starting in his absence.
Perez later had an RBI double as the Royals sent 11 batters to the plate in a 24-minute second inning. SS Erick Aybar was a late scratch with tightness in his lower back. The All-Star has not played since Tuesday because of soreness in his wrist.
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Los Angeles returns to Kansas City for the first time since losing 8-3 in Game 3 of the division series as the Royals completed a sweep. The 32-year-old hasn’t tasted victory since May 30, but owns a 7-5 mark with a 2.76 ERA in his career versus Kansas City.
