NUMBERS ADD UP FOR BYRD TWO-HITTER PROPELS ANGELS TO VICTORY ANGELS 5, KANSAS CITY 0.

Byline: Joe Haakenson Staff Writer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Depending on one's perspective, Angels pitcher Paul Byrd threw either a two-hit shutout or a three-hit shutout in a 5-0 win Friday night over the Kansas City Royals in front of 17,893 at Kauffman Stadium.

Officially, Byrd allowed only a fifth-inning single to Matt Stairs and a seventh-inning double to Mike Sweeney while throwing his second complete game of the season and fourth shutout of his career.

Byrd did give up another hit, a single to leadoff hitter David DeJesus in the bottom of the first inning. Problem was, on the lineup card signed by Royals manager Buddy Bell and given to the umpires before the game, the leadoff hitter was listed as Angel Berroa.

Angels manager Mike Scioscia would not have pointed out the error had DeJesus made an out. But because he singled, Scioscia alerted plate umpire Jerry Crawford, who ruled Berroa out and ordered DeJesus, listed as the No. 2 hitter, back to the plate. DeJesus then flied out.

``I'm counting it as a two-hitter,'' said Byrd (8-5), who said Friday's game was the best of his career. His last shutout came here in 2002 against the Angels while he was with the Royals.

Byrd made 105 pitches, struck out five, walked one and faced 28 batters, one over the minimum. He got two double plays and several running catches by center fielder Chone Figgins.

Byrd pitched in front of his parents, wife and kids, and even members of the ``Byrd's nest,'' a group of fans who followed him when he pitched for the Royals.

``I like pitching here,'' said Byrd, who lowered his ERA to 3.55. ``It's a good thing they moved the fences back, because they hit some long flyballs.''

Byrd's performance was one the Angels' younger pitchers would be wise to try to emulate, Angels pitching coach Bud Black said.

``That was vintage Paul Byrd,'' Black said. ``He threw strikes and pitched aggressively for a guy you wouldn't classify as a power pitcher. He pitched like a guy with the mentality of a power pitcher.

``He goes right at 'em. It's great. The thing about Paul is he's not afraid of contact. A lot of pitchers try to miss bats, pick at the corners, but not Paul.''

Catcher Bengie Molina led the Angels' offense with three hits, including an RBI single off losing pitcher Runelvys Hernandez (5-9) in the second inning. In the sixth, Garret Anderson, Juan Rivera and Maicer Izturis hit consecutive doubles with two outs for two runs and a 3-0 lead.

In the seventh, Vladimir Guerrero singled with the bases loaded to drive in the Angels' final two runs of the game. But it was just frosting for the Angels, the way Byrd was pitching.

Only one Royals baserunner got as far as second base - Sweeney with his double in the seventh. It came on the same at-bat in which Byrd nearly hit Sweeney in the head with a pitch that slipped. Byrd tipped his cap to Sweeney, a close friend of Byrd's, after the pitch.

Joe Haakenson, [phone]

joe.haakenson(at)sgvn.com

CAPTION(S):

photo, 4 boxes

Photo:

Paul Byrd, center, flaps his arms to Royals fans after pitching a two-hitter.

Ed Zurga/Associated Press

Box

(1) ANGELS at KANSAS CITY

- Joe Haakenson

(2) GAME RECAP

(3) HOW THE RUNS SCORED

(4) ALMANAC