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PrintANAHEIM, Calif. — Kansas City manager Buddy Bell and his Los Angeles counterpart Mike Scioscia were both eager to turn the page after the Royals swept the Angels in three games. For different reasons, though.
Jorge De La Rosa won for the first time since May 13, Mark Teahen singled home a run in the third inning and the Royals won 1-0 Wednesday.
“Hit and get out of here,” Bell said. “We played about as well as we could the last three days and we caught them at a time where they weren’t playing so good. I would prefer not to have to play these guys a whole lot. They’re just a little bit ahead of us experience-wise.”
Kansas City has won four straight for the first time since July 4-7 last year, and at 14-11 is assured of a winning month for the first time since July 2003 (15-11). The Royals had not blanked an opponent since Sept. 5 against the New York Yankees.
Los Angeles, shut out for the fourth time this season, had 10 hits but didn’t advance a runner past second, stranding six and hitting into two double plays. Royals catcher Jason LaRue twice threw out runners attempting to steal.
“Those guys beat us and there’s no sense looking back,” Scioscia said. “We didn’t play well enough in these three games to win them. We just couldn’t get the hit with guys in scoring position.”
Kansas City outscored the Angels 18-7 in the series. The Angels had matched a franchise record by winning nine consecutive series since the AL champion Tigers took two of three from them in Detroit from May 22-24.
“Early on in the season, we just weren’t finishing off games. Now we’re starting to put together full games,” Teahen said. “We’re a young team. As guys get more comfortable playing at this level, we’ll start producing more. Our team is starting to settle in.”
Los Angeles hadn’t been swept in a series since losing three at Boston from April 13-16 and hadn’t been swept at home since Seattle won three from June 9-11 last season.
“They played good baseball. That’s all it was,” Angels third baseman Chone Figgins said.
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