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Angels pin hopes on Haren in Kansas City

Apr 1, 2011 - 2:45 PM (Sports Network) - Dan Haren starts his first full season with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim as they continue their season-opening four-game series with the Kansas City Royals tonight at Kauffman Stadium.

Haren started last season with the Arizona Diamondbacks, but was dealt to the Angels around the trade deadline. The durable right-hander combined to go 12-12 with a 3.91 ERA and 216 strikeouts in a career-high 235 innings, and was 5-4 with a 2.87 ERA with the Angels,

Run support became a problem for Haren after the trade, as the Angels scored three times or less in nine of his 14 starts. However, the California native closed out the season with a flourish, posting a 4-0 record and a sensational 1.70 ERA over his final eight outings.

Haren has faced the Royals seven times and is 4-1 with a 1.99 ERA against them.

The Angels continued their recent mastery of the Royals in Thursday's season opener, as Torii Hunter and Jeff Mathis homered to back a shutdown start by Jered Weaver and Anaheim held on for a 4-2 win.

Weaver (1-0) pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings in which he allowed only two hits and two walks. He took a no-hitter into the fourth inning and finished with six strikeouts.

"Weav gave us everything you could ask for, especially [for] his first start of the season, putting us that deep into a game," said Angels manager Mike Scioscia. "That really set the tone and we were fortunate at the end."

Erick Aybar added an RBI double for Los Angeles, which has beaten the Royals five straight times and is 10-2 in its last 12 visits to Kansas City.

Kansas City received immediate dividends from two of its offseason acquisitions, as Jeff Francoeur homered and Melky Cabrera finished 3-for-4 with a walk.

Mike Aviles also homered for the Royals, but Luke Hochevar (0-1) gave up four runs (three earned) in 5 2/3 innings to take the loss.

"[Weaver will] probably win a Cy Young before it's all said and done," Francoeur said. "But we put up some decent at-bats. It's just one game."

Tonight Kansas City will hand the ball to Jeff Francis, who will be making his debut with the Royals after spending the first seven years of his career in Colorado. Francis won 44 games for the Rockies from 2005-07, but has made just 43 starts in three seasons since and missed all of 2009 while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Last year he was just 4-6 with a 5.00 ERA in 20 games (19 starts).

The Angels won seven of their 10 meetings with the Royals last season and are 17-4 in the last 21 matchups between the teams.