Howie Kendrick broke out of a four-for-31 slump with five hits and six RBIs over the weekend, Gary Matthews Jr. has hit safely in eight of his last 10 games and Bobby Abreu has had multiple hits in nine of the Angels' last 11 games, raising his average to .375, seventh-best in the majors.
Abreu, 35, also ranks second in the majors in stolen bases with eight in as many tries.
quot;I've got to represent the 35-year-olds,quot; Abreu says with a broad smile, not unlike the megawatt grin Hunter is flashing across the room.
Clearly Abreu, in his first month with the Angels , is already fitting in. And Hunter may deserve some of the credit for that, too.
quot;These guys make it easy,quot; Abreu says. quot;They're a nice group over here. They make you feel comfortable right away.quot;
Probable pitchers: Joe Saunders vs. Adam Eaton. Wednesday: Shane Loux (0-2, 6.61) vs. Koji Uehara (2-1, 4.56).
Update: Saunders gave up five runs in five innings against the Tigers his last time out, his worst performance since Aug. 27. But a trip to Baltimore may be exactly what Saunders needs; he is 4-0 in five starts against the Orioles, including two wins at Camden Yards. The Angels have had recent success against the Orioles too, having won the last five season series. Eaton is coming off a strong outing in which he held the Chicago White Sox to two runs in seven innings, striking out nine. But he's had little luck against the Angels , who are batting .328 against him in six starts. And his 6.16 ERA against them is the highest against any American League team he has faced more than once.
BALTIMORE (AP) - It took 19 games for the Los Angeles Angels to do something every other team in the majors had already accomplished: notch consecutive wins.
Joe Saunders allowed two earned runs in six innings, Howie Kendrick homered, and the Angels beat the Baltimore Orioles 7-5 on Tuesday night to secure their first winning streak of the season.
Kendry Morales had two doubles and two RBIs for the Angels, who were coming off an 8-0 victory over Seattle on Sunday.
"I couldn't tell you when we had two in a row anytime, or when we lost two in a row or anything. We looked at the game we had on this night," Los Angeles manager Mike Scioscia said. "And when this one's over, we'll turn the page and carry a little momentum into (Wednesday) afternoon's game."
The Orioles, meanwhile, were fuming after their second straight loss. Home plate umpire Angel Hernandez called a balk on Jamie Walker in the seventh inning after it appeared the left-hander picked off Maicer Izturis, and three batters later Morales delivered a two-run double to make it 7-4.
