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Angels-Royals Preview

Jun 3, 2010 - 5:01 AM By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Senior Writer

Los Angeles (26-28) at Kansas City (22-31), 2:10 p.m. EDT

After spending all of May below .500, the Los Angeles Angels can finally get back to the break-even mark.

The Angels will try to even their record and capture a four-game series from the Kansas City Royals on Thursday at Kauffman Stadium.

Los Angeles (27-28) split 24 games in the first month of the season before starting May on a six-game skid. That forced the Angels into an uphill battle, but the three-time defending AL West champions appear to finally be clicking by winning six of eight.

The Angels are trying to win their sixth straight series over the Royals (22-32) since the clubs split two games April 16-17, 2008. Los Angeles won 7-2 on Wednesday as Scott Kazmir pitched 5 2-3 innings, and Torii Hunter homered and drove in three runs.

"I feel like everyone's a little more relaxed out there," Kazmir said. "There's a lot of chatter in the dugout and it seems like everyone's a little more loose. It seems like we're coming along."

The lone bit of bad news for the Angels came when left fielder Juan Rivera left in the fifth inning after fouling a ball off his left big toe the inning before, and was replaced by Reggie Willits. X-rays were inconclusive and manager Mike Scioscia said the struggling Rivera (.232) is day-to-day.

Hunter, Bobby Abreu and Hideki Matsui all should face a challenge Thursday when they face Kansas City ace Zack Greinke (1-6, 3.39 ERA). Hunter and Abreu are .250 hitters against the right-hander, and Matsui is at .200.

Greinke continues to find it difficult to pick up wins, losing his second straight outing Saturday. The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner gave up one run, five hits and three walks in six innings in a 1-0 loss at Boston.

"It wasn't a smooth six-inning game," he said. "It was a real stressful game. It'll take a toll if every game is like that."

Greinke is 1-3 with a 4.09 ERA in five career starts against the Angels, going 0-1 with a 0.56 ERA in two last year as the Royals gave him a total of one run of support.

Kansas City has scored a total of 10 runs in losing four of five. Leading hitter Billy Butler is 2 for 17 in that span while RBI leader Jose Guillen is 2 for 18 with one RBI.

David DeJesus has been the most productive Royal in this series with six hits in 11 at-bats.

Guillen has the best numbers of any Kansas City hitter against Jered Weaver (4-2, 3.01), going 8 for 18 with four doubles. Weaver went 0-4 with a 5.64 ERA in four outings against the Royals before ending that skid in his lone start against them last year, allowing one run over seven innings in a 2-1 road victory Sept. 9.

The Angels right-hander is 0-1 with a 3.65 ERA in his last four outings, yielding one unearned run over seven innings Saturday in a 5-1, 10-inning win over Seattle.

Los Angeles has won 23 of 30 at Kansas City since the start of the 2004 season.