Royals 3 - 6 Angels
Final
  for this game

Morales comes off bench, lifts Angels past Royals

Jul 24, 2012 - 5:55 AM Anaheim, CA (Sports Network) - Kendrys Morales may not have started the game, but he essentially finished off the Royals on Monday night.

Morales came off the bench to smoked a game-winning, bases-clearing single in the eighth inning as the Angels took the opener of a three-game set against the Royals, 6-3.

Mike Trout had a pair of hits and scored a run, extending his American League rookie-record scoring streak to 15 games and his hitting streak to 12 games.

C.J. Wilson pitched 6 2/3 solid innings to earn a no decision to rebound from his last start, when he allowed a season-worst seven runs against Detroit. He allowed three runs on nine hits, striking out six and walking one. Kevin Jepsen (1-1) earned the win after tossing 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief.

Bruce Chen, who surrendered 22 runs in 19 innings across four July starts coming into Monday, gave up three runs in just 5 1/3 and was let off the hook with a no decision. Greg Holland (4-3) took the loss after the Angels lit him up for three runs in their decisive eighth inning.

Eric Hosmer had a pair of hits and scored twice for the Royals, who have dropped eight of 11 since the All-Star break.

Alberto Callaspo grounded a two-out single through the hole on the right side to start the Angels' rally in the eighth. Maicer Izturis then chopped a double over the head of Hosmer and into right field to put runners on second and third. Holland walked Peter Bourjos before Morales pinch hit and laced a bases-clearing base hit off the base of the fence in right-center field to give the Angels a 6-3 lead.

Kansas City got on the board first with a pair of runs in the third inning. Hosmer, Bryan Pena and Alex Gordon strung together three straight singles to start the inning and plate a run. Pena scored on Lorenzo Cain's sacrifice fly.

The lead did not last long, as the Angels quickly responded with two runs in the bottom half of the third. Trout led off with a base hit and went to third when Torii Hunter ripped a double into the left-field corner. Albert Pujols grounded out to score Trout and Howie Kendrick scored Hunter with a long double.

Kendrick later gave the Angels the lead. He worked a leadoff walk in the sixth, advanced to second on a groundout, stole third and scored when Izturis flared a single into right field.

The Royals tied the game in the seventh. Hosmer picked up a one-out single, made it to second on a wild pitch and came around to score when Pena lined a single into center field.

Scott Downs pitched a perfect ninth to nail down his ninth save.

Game Notes

The Angels have won three of their last four...Chen is 3-5 with a 6.81 earned run average on the road this season...Over the past 10 seasons, the Angels are 59-30 against Kansas City...Pujols has 43 RBI in his last 54 games...The Angels are 9-3 in the last 12 games started by Wilson...Kansas City was 3- for-11 with runners in scoring position and stranded seven...The Angels were 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left eight on base.






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