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KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Thirty-five games into the season, the Angels are short-handed, riddled with injuries and key players in slumps.
And cruising.
Garret Anderson broke out of his slump to drive in all five runs as the Angels defeated the Kansas City Royals, 5-3, on Tuesday night.
Their season-high fourth consecutive victory gives the Angels a 22-13 record, tied with the Boston Red Sox for the best record in the American League. That includes a 12-5 record on the road, the best in the majors.
The 35-game record is only one victory short of matching the best starts in franchise history (23-12 in 2004 and 1970).
All of this with their top two pitchers (John Lackey and Kelvim Escobar) and two infielders (Howie Kendrick and Maicer Izturis) on the disabled list, another out because of injury (Chone Figgins) and the run-producing anchors of their lineup (Anderson and Vladimir Guerrero) facing questions about their lack of production recently.
"That's what I'm saying. It's scary," the Angels' Torii Hunter said. "Right now, we just have to ride this wave as long as we can - make sure that wave doesn't go out."
The Angels have been able to stay afloat while making 26 roster moves this season and calling eight players up from Triple-A Salt Lake.
Rookie starting pitcher Nick Adenhart barely lasted into the third inning in his big-league debut last week. Against the Royals on Tuesday, he went into the fifth inning - but it wasn't easy. The right-hander gave up two runs in the second inning, sandwiching two walks around back-to-back doubles by Miguel Olivo and Ross Gload, all after there were two outs.
In the third, Adenhart again ran into trouble after retiring the first two batters. Consecutive doubles by Billy Butler and Alex Gordon (on a misplayed fly ball by left fielder Gary Matthews Jr.) produced another two-out run.
"He threw more good pitches but wasn't as consistent as he was down there (in Triple-A) or will be," Manager Mike Scioscia said of Adenhart. "It was a step forward but he's still feeling for some things."
A three-run home run by Anderson in the fourth inning, his second homer in two nights, evened the score, and a two-out RBI single by Anderson in the fifth gave Adenhart a lead.
He couldn't stick around long enough to reap the benefits, though. Adenhart walked consecutive batters with one out in the fifth, giving him five walks in each of his two starts, and he was pulled by Scioscia.
philthy 
