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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
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| Salmon |
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) – The Anaheim Angels' power hitters showed
signs of heating up.
Tim Salmon hit two home runs and Troy Glaus and Garret Anderson
also homered as the Angels beat the Kansas City Royals 7-2 Sunday
to complete a three-game sweep.
Salmon, Glaus and Anderson were part of the first 30-homer
foursome in AL history last season, but the trio hasn't been the
same this year without the injured Mo Vaughn.
"I don't want to look at Mo's injury as an excuse, because it's
not something I've had in the back of my mind." Salmon said after
his 17th career multihomer game and first since April 21 of last
season.
"Believe me, I'm not downplaying it because Mo's existence in
our lineup was huge last year. He got hurt, but we still have a
good offense and we have to move on. Regardless of who isn't in the
lineup, I know I should be swinging better. Garret feels the same
way, I'm sure. Troy has gotten hot lately and is doing what he's
capable of doing."
Salmon, Anderson and Glaus, the defending AL home run champ,
went deep in the same game for the first time since May 19, 2000 –
when they beat the Royals 6-4 at Edison Field.
Salmon had gotten off to one of the worst starts in his nine
full major league seasons, hitting .211 with five homers, 16 RBI
and only two hits in 39 at-bats with runners in scoring position
before the Angels' three-game sweep of the Royals.
But he showed signs of getting out of his slump with a homer his
first time up Saturday. He hit a two-run shot Sunday off Mac Suzuki
(2-4) to give the Angels a 4-1 lead, then hit another one in the
eighth with the bases empty against Cory Bailey to make it 7-1.
"You try not to do anything that wakes him up, but you also
don't attack him like a .200 hitter," Royals catcher A.J. Finch
said. "We were pitching carefully to him, but he does things that
can hurt you. When he got those two homers, you knew things were
turning around a little bit for him. I'm glad to be leaving, if
he's getting hot."
The Angels matched their season high in homers while completing
their first sweep of Kansas City in a series of three or more games
since June 1996, and first at home since June 1992.
Ramon Ortiz (4-4) won for the first time since April 28. The
right-hander allowed two runs – one earned – and six hits in 7 2-3
innings.
Ortiz was removed with a 7-1 lead after giving up a two-out
single by Rey Sanchez – which extended his career-best hitting
streak to 21 games – and his only walk of the game.
Mike Holtz got Jermaine Dye to ground to third, but Glaus' high
throw to second baseman Adam Kennedy allowed Sanchez to score the
Royals' second run.
Rookie David Eckstein led off third inning for Anaheim with a
double, took third on a bunt single past the mound by Darin Erstad,
and scored on Glaus' sacrifice fly to give Anaheim a 2-1 lead.
Salmon then drove a 2-2 pitch over the wall in left-center, and
Anderson followed with his sixth homer on an 0-2 pitch to make it
5-1.
Anderson, whose RBI single drove in the winning run in Saturday
night's 3-2 victory, opened the scoring with a run-scoring single
in the first. Hinch tied it in the third with a leadoff homer off
the left-field pole.
Glaus led off the fifth against Jose Santiago with his 16th of
the campaign and third of the homestand.
Suzuki allowed five runs and six hits over 2 2-3 innings.
Game notes
Anaheim also hit four homers on April 5 in 10-3 victory at
Texas. ... The Royals (20-36) have the worst record after 56 games
in the franchise's 33-year history. ... Erstad has a 14-game
hitting streak, one shy of his career high, and is batting .368
over his last 25 games. ... Dee Brown singled his first two times
up, after going hitless in his first 18 career at-bats against
Anaheim. ... The Angels have hit back-to-back homers four times
this season. ... Salmon has homered in consecutive games for the
first time this season. Four of his eight homers have come on this
homestand. ... Suzuki had three assists in the second inning.
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RECAPS
Cleveland 4
NY Yankees 3
Boston 5
Toronto 4
Chi. White Sox 9
Detroit 6
Minnesota 6
Texas 3
Anaheim 7
Kansas City 2
Oakland 5
Baltimore 1
Seattle 8
Tampa Bay 4
Montreal 10
Philadelphia 3
Atlanta 11
Pittsburgh 7
Atlanta 8
Pittsburgh 3
(2nd game)
Milwaukee 4
Chicago Cubs 2
Los Angeles 9
Houston 8
Colorado 11
San Francisco 2
Florida 1
NY Mets 0
Arizona 8
San Diego 4
St. Louis 4
Cincinnati 3
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