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KC@DET: Chen catches Jackson off first in the second

After 29 straight games against teams .500 or above going into Sunday, the Angels will open a three-game series on Monday against the Royals, who are 10 games out of first place and one of three teams in the American League with a losing record.

The Royals dropped seven games during their recent 10-game homestand, finishing up with a 7-5 loss to the Twins in Sunday's rubber game. After enduring multiple game time temperatures above 100 degrees during the homestand, the Royals are welcoming a road trip to Los Angeles, where it was 77 degrees when the Angels beat the Rangers, 7-4, on Sunday.

"It's a lot more pleasant," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "When you're playing and it's 104 degrees, it's tough out there. When you go back to the West Coast and you're playing in 75-degree temperatures, it's a breath of fresh air. It's refreshing. It'll be a good break for us."

Bruce Chen, who hasn't won this month, will start the Royals off against the Angels. The veteran lefty gave up four runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings while striking out six and walking none in a no-decision against the Mariners on July 18.

Chen is 0-2 with a 10.42 ERA in four July starts, his last victory coming on June 26 against the Rays, when he allowed just one earned run in seven innings.

In seven career outings against the Angels, Chen is 1-1 with a 3.23 ERA, allowing six home runs in 30 2/3 career innings against the Halos. He tossed six scoreless innings in his first start of the season against the Angels, giving up three hits and striking out four while getting a no-decision in the Royals' 5-0 loss.

The Angels will counter with All-Star C.J. Wilson. Like Chen, Wilson is 0-2 in four July starts, posting a 4.68 ERA, while striking out 21 and walking 15 batters this month. He allowed a season-high seven runs on eight hits over six innings in a 7-2 loss to the Tigers on July 18 in his last start.

"They got a couple of key hits with guys on base," Wilson said after the loss. "That's been a specialty of mine is avoiding that the last three months of the season. That was the shortcoming of the game tonight, for me."

Wilson, who was 9-5 with a 2.43 ERA before the All-Star break, is 0-1 with a 6.23 ERA in two starts since.

Royals: Guthrie loses first start with KC
• In his first start since being acquired in a trade from the Rockies on Friday, Jeremy Guthrie suffered his 10th defeat of the season in Sunday's 7-5 loss to the Twins. Guthrie gave up five runs on four hits in five innings, striking out four and walking three.

• According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Lorenzo Cain became the fourth player in Royals history to record three different hits for RBIs in a game while batting cleanup and playing center field on Saturday, joining Amos Otis (1982), Bo Jackson (twice in '90) and Carlos Beltran (2003).

Angels: Trout makes history
• Mike Trout scored a run in the first inning of Sunday night's series finale against the Rangers, marking his 14th straight game with at least one run, which is a team and an American League rookie record. Trout's 14 consecutive games with at least one run topped Jim Edmonds' 13-game streak in 1995. The old AL rookie record of 13 was set by Don Lenhardt (St. Louis Browns) and Jake Powell (Washington Senators) in 1950.

Trout leads the AL with a .357 batting average and 31 stolen bases. The Angels are 46-30 (.605) since he made his season debut April 28.

• Garrett Richards beat out Jerome Williams for the last spot in the Angels' rotation and will start Tuesday against the Royals while Williams goes to the bullpen. Dan Haren was set to start Sunday against the Rangers for the first time since landing on the DL with lower back stiffness earlier this month.

Worth Noting
• The Royals fell to 9-6 in rubber games this season with Sunday's loss. Their previous rubber match was a 2-1 loss to the White Sox on July 15 and their last win in one was, 2-1, on June 20 in Houston.

• No. 9 hitters in the Royals' lineup this year lead the Majors with a .294 batting average, 49 RBIs, 98 hits and 28 doubles. Chris Getz went 2-for-4 in that role for the on Sunday.

• The Angels called up infielder Jean Segura from Double-A Arkansas to take the place of shortstop Erick Aybar, who fouled a ball off his big toe on Saturday and might have to go on the 15-day disabled list.

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