KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Torii Hunter homered and drove in three runs, and Scott Kazmir bounced back from a rocky previous start to lead the Los Angeles Angels to a 7-2 win over the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday night.
Hunter had a two-run single off Kyle Davies (4-4) in the first inning and added his eighth homer in the seventh to end a 4-for-26 slump. Bobby Abreu hit his 500th career double and the Angels had 14 hits to beat Kansas City for the 11th time in 13 games over two seasons.
Kazmir (4-5) was good when he needed to be after giving up five runs against Seattle the last time out, helping Los Angeles win for the sixth time in eight games and stay close to the AL Central lead after a ragged start to the season.
Davies got plenty of help his last time out, winning against Boston on Friday despite allowing five runs in five innings thanks to 20 hits and 12 runs of support.
No such luck this time.
The right-hander got off to a rough start and didn't get much better, while Kazmir limited damage working through traffic.
Davies walked Maicer Izturis to open the game, then giving up a ground-rule double to Abreu, who joined Barry Bonds, Rickey Henderson and Craig Biggio as the only players to reach 500 doubles, 250 homers and 350 stolen bases.
Hunter followed with a two-run single and another run came in on Mike Napoli's fielder's choice aided by Hideki Matsui's hard slide that caused an off-target throw by second baseman Mike Aviles.
More trouble came in the fourth inning, when Juan Rivera hit a run-scoring double and Kevin Frandsen drove him with an inside-out single just inside first base to put the Angels up 5-1.
Davies was lifted after a single and a walk to lead off the fifth inning, pegged for six runs on eight hits after Matsui hit a run-scoring single off reliever Victor Marte.
Hunter made it 7-1 in the seventh with a solo shot off Marte that landed well behind the Angels bullpen in left.
Kazmir allowed baserunners in each of the first four innings, benefiting from double plays in the first and third. The Royals got a run in the third on David DeJesus' two-out, run-scoring single and nothing else against the left-hander.
Kazmir gave up a run on five hits in 5 2/3 winnings after going 1-4 with a 6.91 ERA over his previous five outings.
Notes
Royals LHP Danny Duffy, a third-round pick in 2007, has reported to extended spring training in Arizona after announcing March 24 that he was taking a leave of absence from baseball. … Royals CF Willie Bloomquist made a diving catch on a drive into the gap by Bobby Wilson in the sixth inning. … Los Angeles is 37-13 against Kansas City since 2004.