Anaheim, CA (Sports Network) – Vin Mazzaro threw a five-hit, seven-inning gem and the Royals’ offense bludgeoned Los Angeles with a 13-hit attack to take the rubber match at Angel Stadium by a 9-0 score.
Mazzaro (1-1) also walked five hitters en route to his first win of 2011.
Royals’ manager Ned Yost commented on his starter’s outing.
“Vin’s stuff was great, his sinker, change and slider,” Yost said. Our defense was spectacular today. Vin threw strikes when he needed to and let the defense help him out."
Alex Gordon collected three hits and knocked in a pair while Billy Butler and Chris Getz each added two RBI for the Royals, who bounced back after dropping a 7-5 result to LA on Saturday.
Rookie Mike Moustakas added a hit in his fourth major league game.
Tyler Chatwood (3-4) lasted only 3 2/3 innings in defeat for LA, giving up five runs on five hits while fanning five and walking three.
Erick Aybar doubled for the only extra-base hit for the Angels, who have lost nine of their last 11 games.
The Royals struck first with a run in the second and didn’t look back. Mitch Maier led off the inning with a walk and advanced to second and then third on two wild pitches by Chatwood. Maier scored on a balk by Chatwood to gift Kansas City an early 1-0 lead.
Kansas City expanded its lead in the fourth, plating four runs. Moustakas ripped a one-out single to right after a Maier walk. Matt Treanor doubled to left to score Maier and leave Moustakas at third. Getz followed with a single to score Moustakas. After Alcides Escobar grounded into a fielder’s choice, Gordon smacked a double to left to score Getz and Escobar to spot the Royals a comfortable 5-0 lead.
KC extended its lead again in the sixth when Getz laced a single to right to score Maier.
The Angels threatened in the sixth, putting two men on with one out, but the Royals were bailed out when Bobby Abreu grounded into a double-play to end the inning.
Abreu collected a hit against Mazzaro and commented on his game.
“He threw a lot of sinkers and had a pretty good slider,” Abreu said. We have a lineup that can score runs, right now we’re going through a tough time."
Gordon led off the seventh for KC with a single and Hosmer was hit by a pitch to put two runners on for Butler, who came through with a double to plate two runs and extend the lead to 8-0 for the Royals.
Blake Wood tossed a scoreless ninth to close out the win for Kansas City.
Game Notes
LA closes out its nine-game homestand with a 2-7 mark…Kansas City leads the season series against LA by a 7-3 margin and has clinched the season series win. It is the second time in 15 years the Royals have taken a season series from the Angels…Moustakas made his major league debut on Friday and went 1-for-4, he joins the youngest roster in MLB, with an average age of 26 years, 172 days…Kansas City turned five double-plays in the game…Mazzaro is 2-2 in his career against Los Angeles.
For more news and information on the Angels, or on today’s game, be sure to read the SB Nation blog Halos Heaven.