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The Sports Network
(Sports Network) - Saddled with the longest losing streak in the majors
entering the weekend, the LA Angels of Anaheim try to stop the bleeding
tonight as they tangle with the Kansas City Royals in the second game of a
three-game set at Angel Stadium.
If not for the fact that the Oakland A's just suffered through a 10-game
slide, the Angels would surely be lingering at the bottom of the American
League West, but as it stands right now the team is third in the division and
is just six games out of first despite a six-game skid.
On Friday night the Angels bowed out to Kansas City for the sixth time in
eight tries this season, dropping a 4-2 decision which means the team is now
five games under .500 (14-19) at home and has lost eight of the last nine
contests overall.
Angels starter Ervin Santana was tagged with his sixth loss in nine decisions
as he permitted all four runs on seven hits over seven innings. Santana fanned
five batters, but he also walked five as well.
"It's going to take more than one guy to get the continuity we're looking
for," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said after the disappointing outcome.
Howie Kendrick and Bobby Abreu both knocked in a run for the hosts.
Billy Butler and Melky Cabrera both hit home runs for the Royals, who won
their second in a row and are still a league-worst 7-16 on the road.
Nevertheless, Kansas City has somehow found a way to compete against the other
clubs in the AL West and are actually one game over .500 (12-11) in such
matchups.
KC starter Jeff Francis was rewarded with the win, just his third in nine
decisions this season, as he scattered eight hits and allowed only two runs,
walking one and striking out three over 6 1/3 innings. Joakim Soria stepped up
in the ninth inning, fanning two, as he posted his ninth save of 2011.
Set to take the hill for the Royals tonight, in search of his first win of the
2011 campaign, is right-hander Felipe Paulino. The 27-year-old has found that
victories at the major league level are hard to come by given that he has a
career record of just 6-25 now into his four year.
Paulino, who spent the first three years of his career in the Houston
organization and compiled a 6-21 mark, began this year with the Colorado
Rockies before getting moved to Kansas City. Inserted into the starting
rotation by the Royals after having his issues coming out of the bullpen,
Paulino has shown signs of promise in his first two AL starts. On Monday he
made it through 6 2/3 innings against the Toronto Blue Jays, permitting just
one earned run on three hits and three walks, while striking out four in the
no-decision.
Paulino has yet to record a decision versus the Angels.
Gunning for the 100th win of his career will be Joel Pineiro for the Angels
when he takes the hill tonight. The right-hander, who is 0-1 this season and
an even 5-5 in his career versus Kansas City, is currently showing an overall
mark of 99-89 now in his 12th year in the majors.
Pineiro has now gone more than a month since posting his most recent victory,
a triumph over the Chicago White Sox at home back on May 10. Since then he has
suffered three losses personally and the team has lost in all five of his
appearances. Last weekend he stepped to the hill against the New York Yankees
and permitted four runs on nine hits, two of those being home runs, over the
course of 6 2/3 innings in what was eventually a 5-3 setback.
Kansas City pitchers are some of the most vulnerable in the American League
right now, sporting a league-worst .272 batting average against. All of those
hits have resulted in a team ERA of 4.67 which is also the highest in the AL
entering the weekend.
Kansas City may have the advantage against the Angels so far this year, but in
the previous three seasons LA dominated the Royals to the tune of 17-6.
The Sports Network