Anaheim, CA (Sports Network) - Torii Hunter celebrated being named to his fourth All-Star Game on Sunday by going 3-for-4 with two homers and a career- high tying seven RBI in an 11-0 drubbing of the Royals in the finale of a three-game series.
Hunter’s All-Star Performance Leads Angels Over Royals In 11-0 Romp
Paul McAnulty, recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake before the game, added a two- run shot for Los Angeles, which avoided getting swept at home for the first time since June 2007.
Joel Pineiro (9-6) continued his recent string of successful outings, winning for the sixth straight time after scattering six hits and four walks while fanning three in seven scoreless innings.
Anthony Lerew (1-2) surrendered six runs on as many hits and two walks over five-plus innings for Kansas City, which had won five of six coming in.
The Royals stranded six total runners in the first three innings, including three in the third when Wilson Betemit grounded back to the mound to end the threat.
LA got rolling in third, loading the bases on a pair of singles and a walk for Bobby Abreu, whose drive to center was caught but was deep enough to plate Jeff Mathis. Hunter then stepped up and clubbed a hanging slider down the left-field line for a 4-0 lead.
"Lerew started out good, but he started to elevate the ball in the third inning," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "You can't do that to Torii Hunter. He crushes the ball. You saw why he's an All-Star."
Lerew was pulled after putting the first two hitters on in the sixth. Kanekoa Texeira came in and yielded a run-scoring sacrifice fly to Mike Napoli before McAnulty, playing in his first big-league game since 2008, slugged a two-run shot over the wall in right-center.
Hunter notched his 13th career multi-home run game in seventh when he took Victor Marte deep to left after Reggie Willits walked.
Appropriately, Hunter came up with the bases loaded in the eighth and drove in a pair with a single to right to cap the scoring.
“It was a lot of fun. When you’re in the zone, you’re in the zone. You have days like that and today was my day,” Hunter said.
LA's Francisco Rodriguez and Fernando Rodney each pitched an inning of relief to finish off the shutout...KC stranded 11 runners...The Angels also recalled outfielder Cory Aldridge from Salt Lake while optioning infielder Robb Quinlan and pitcher Sean O'Sullivan to the minors...Reliever Joakim Soria was the only Royals player named to the American League roster for the All-Star game, which will be held at Angel Stadium on July 13.
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