Major League Baseball
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Kansas City 9, LA Angels 2
When: 3:35 PM ET, Sunday, April 12, 2015
Where: Angel Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, California
Temperature: 73°
Umpires: Home - Jim Wolf, 1B - Adam Hamari, 2B - Bill Miller, 3B - Doug Eddings
Attendance: 37060

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Right-hander Yordano Ventura retired 12 of the first 14 batters he faced, and shortstop Alcides Escobar drove in three runs to lead the Kansas City Royals to a 9-2 rout of the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday in front of 37,060 at Angel Stadium.

Ventura (2-0) conceded a home run to first baseman Albert Pujols and a walk to center fielder Mike Trout while striking out seven Angels and walking just one in his first four innings. The 23-year-old Dominican finished with seven strikeouts and two walks in 5 2/3 innings, permitting four hits and two runs.

Escobar went 1-for-4 with a two-run double and a sacrifice fly, as he extended his hitting streak to 15 games, which includes the final nine games of last season. Right fielder Alex Rios contributed two RBIs, a run and a double while going 3-for-5.

Pujols gave the Angels a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Pujols drove Ventura's fastball down the left-field line for his second home run of the season and the 522nd of his career to move into 18th place on the all-time list. Until that homer, Pujols had been tied with Hall of Famers Ted Williams, Willie McCovey and Frank Thomas.

But in the top of the second, the Royals sent nine batters to the plate to score four runs on four hits, a fielder's choice and an error against left-hander C.J. Wilson (1-1).

Designated hitter Kendrys Morales, Rios and catcher Salvador Perez began the inning with three successive singles, with Perez driving home Morales. After left fielder Paolo Orlando reached base on a fielder's choice, second baseman Omar Infante hit a ground ball underneath the glove of Angels third baseman David Freese for an error that scored Rios. Escobar ended the rally with a two-run double off the left-field fence.

Kansas City extended its lead to 7-1 after six innings. Rios added another two-run double in the fifth. Then in the sixth, Escobar's sacrifice fly scored Orlando, who tripled over the outstretched glove of a lunging Trout.

Los Angeles narrowed the deficit to 7-2 in the bottom of the sixth. With Trout at first base, Pujols hit a double to center field. When center fielder Lorenzo Cain bobbled the ball for the Royals' first error this season, Trout scored.

After Trout slid home, he and Ventura exchanged words, resulting in players from both teams charging out of their respective dugouts and bullpens. No fights took place and no players were ejected.

The Royals added two runs in the seventh. Perez hit his third home run of the season, then Orlando followed with another triple and came home on Infante's double.

Ventura left the game one batter later, when left fielder Matt Joyce hit a ground ball off the right-hander's right leg.

Wilson allowed nine hits and seven runs, six of them earned, in 5 2/3 innings while walking one and striking out four.

NOTES: Kansas City SS Alcides Escobar brought a 14-game hitting streak extending from last season into Sunday's game. ... The Royals' 5-0 start is their best since 2003, when the club won its first nine games. ... The Royals are one of two teams starting Sunday's play that have yet to make an error. The Miami Marlins are the other. ... Los Angeles OF Kole Calhoun strained a calf and did not start. ... Angels 2B Taylor Featherston, selected in the Rule 5 Draft, made his major league debut. ... Angels CF Mike Trout needs one home run to become the youngest player in major league history to accumulate 100 homers and 100 stolen bases in his career. Trout has 102 steals.
Top Game Performances
Starting Pitchers
Kansas City   LA Angels
Yordano Ventura Player C.J. Wilson
Win W/L Loss
5.2 IP 5.2
7 Strikeouts 4
4 Hits 9
3.18 ERA 9.53
Hitting
Kansas City   LA Angels
Alex Rios Player Albert Pujols
3 Hits 2
2 RBI 1
0 HR 1
4 TB 6
.600 Avg .667
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Hits HR TB Avg LOB K RBI BB SB Errors
Kansas City 14 1 24 .341 17 9 9 1 0 1
LA Angels 5 1 9 .167 8 9 1 3 0 1