ANGELS HOLD ON FOR WIN LOS ANGELES PUTS AN END TO THREE-GAME LOSING STREAK ANGELS 4, KANSAS CITY 3.

Byline: DOUG PADILLA  Staff Writer

ANAHEIM -- Even the lowly Kansas City Royals are making things hard on the Angels.

But after a brief scare from a late Royals rally, the Angels had enough in reserve for a 4-3 victory that snapped a three-game losing streak and a four-game home losing streak.

Orlando Cabrera continued to swing a hot bat, reaching base for the 42nd consecutive game, and Dallas McPherson made a case for extended playing time with three hits.

The most welcome sight, though, was to see a game unfold as the Angels had envisioned when they built the pitching staff. Ervin Santana pitched strong before he wobbled in the seventh, and Scot Shields and Francisco Rodriguez came on to close down the victory.

When the Angels have not been losing of late, their victories have been by wide margins, and Shields and Rodriguez have not been pitching in their customary roles. Both were well-rested Monday, but a fresh late-inning reliever is not the sign of a winning team.

``I won't say it's nice because what's nice is when you're worried about giving them rest,'' Scioscia said. ``That means they have been out there, and we're winning games and holding leads and doing what we know this team can do.

``They've been rested far too often this year because of our inconsistent play. I'd like to have to worry about giving them days off instead of keeping them sharp by pitching them in games we're losing.''

After the Royals pushed across three runs in the seventh inning, Shields came on to get out of the jam. He also added a scoreless eighth inning.

Rodriguez allowed a walk, but struck out the side in the ninth for his 14th save and first since May 30. It was just his sixth save opportunity since May 1 after having nine chances in April.

``It was nice,'' Rodriguez said. ``Idon't remember the last time I had a one-run lead in the ninth. It's a way different mentality I have. Iattacked them and tried to put them away as soon as possible.''

McPherson drove in the Angels' first run with a single in the second inning that scored Garret Anderson. After a 3-for-3 night, McPherson is 13 for 32 (.406) over his past 12games and 10 of his past 19 hits have been for extra bases.

His hot streak hardly compares to Cabrera's, though. Cabrera's on-base streak already is the longest in Angels history. He extended it with a first inning single.

In the second, Cabrera's single moved Chone Figgins to third and two batters later, Anderson delivered a sacrifice fly for a 2-0lead.

The Angels looked as if they were headed for an easy victory after they added two more runs in the third inning, when McPherson and Cabrera each doubled in runs of Royals starter Bobby Keppel (0-2).

``He's very comfortable hitting deep into counts and when a player gets like that a lot of good things are going to happen,'' Scioscia said of Cabrera.

Santana cruised through the first six innings. He retired 10 consecutive batters from the first inning through the end of the fourth and had not allowed a hit at that point. The Royals' first hit came when Matt Stairs led off the fifth with a single.

Stairs was more of a problem for Santana in the seventh inning, when he crushed a two-run home run to right to cut the Angels' lead to 4-2. Angel Berroa made it a one-run game with an RBI single. He was thrown out by Anderson trying to stretch it into a double.

The Royals' Mark Teahen, a Yucaipa High School product, had one hit in four at-bats but struck out to end the game. He is batting .357 (10 for 28) in nine games since being recalled from Triple-A Omaha.

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CAPTION(S):

2 photos, box

Photo:

(1) Kansas City's Angel Berroa is tagged out by Angels second baseman Adam Kennedy after his single drove in Shane Costa during the seventh inning Monday.

Robert Laberge/Getty Images

(2) Angels' Dallas McPherson hits a single to right field to score teammate Garret Anderson.

Jeff Lewis/Associated Press

Box:

ANGELS vs. KANSAS CITY

- Doug Padilla