ANAHEIM, Calif. — Eric Hosmer and Billy Butler homered and drove in three runs apiece, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Los Angeles Angels 7-3 Sunday, taking two of three in their season-opening series.
Jonathan Sanchez (1-0) survived through five innings to win his first start with the Royals, who dampened the revamped Angels’ much-hyped home debut with two victories after getting shut out on opening day.
Albert Pujols went 2 for 3 with a double and two walks, driving in his first run for the Angels with a first-inning groundout. Los Angeles’ new $240 million slugger went 3 for 10 with two doubles in his first three games at Angel Stadium.
Vernon Wells homered in the eighth, but Los Angeles again struggled defensively and on the mound. Ervin Santana (0-1) yielded seven hits and six runs while failing to get out of the sixth inning.
Howie Kendrick and Pujols reached base to open the ninth, but Jonathan Broxton relieved Aaron Crow and struck out Torii Hunter, Wells and Kendrys Morales for an impressive finish to his first save for the Royals.
Butler hit a two-run homer in the first inning, and Hosmer added a two-run shot in the fifth before scoring his third run of the day on Butler’s double in the seventh.
Hosmer, the Royals’ prized 22-year-old first baseman, also homered Saturday for the majors’ youngest team, getting off to a dynamic start to his first full major league season.
Sanchez allowed four hits and three walks, but was resilient in his debut for the Royals, who acquired him last November in a trade with San Francisco for Melky Cabrera. Sanchez won 38 games and a World Series ring over six seasons with the Giants, but had a winning record just once in four years as a regular starter.
After ace Jered Weaver blanked the Royals for eight innings on opening day, the next two pitchers in the Angels’ vaunted rotation haven’t lived up to their billing. Kansas City battered Dan Haren on Saturday, and Santana allowed a runner to reach scoring position in all but one of his 5 2-3 innings.
Moments after Alcides Escobar scored on Hosmer’s bloop single to left in the first inning, Butler’s homer barely eluded Peter Bourjos when the slick-fielding outfielder leaped at the wall.
Wells snapped a 1-for-11 start to his season with a homer into the bullpen off Kelvin Herrera, but Crow stopped the Angels’ rally, stranding two runners in scoring position.
Mark Trumbo, the Angels’ new third baseman, mishandled a grounder in the sixth inning for his third error in three games. Trumbo led Los Angeles in homers and RBIs as a rookie last season, but is trying to learn a new position on the job after Pujols supplanted him at first base.
NOTES: New Angels LHP C.J. Wilson debuts on Monday at Minnesota when Los Angeles opens a six-game trip against the Twins and Yankees. … Kansas City is headed up the California coast to Oakland, opening a three-game series with Luis Mendoza on the mound Monday night. … Angels catchers Chris Iannetta and Bobby Wilson both celebrated their 29th birthdays.
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