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Angels fall again in Royals’ final at-bat

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Matt Treanor’s three-run home run with two outs in the 13th inning lifted the Kansas City Royals to a 12-9 victory over the Angels on Sunday.

The win was the Royals’ second walk-off victory in three days and the third in their final at-bat.

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Chris Getz, who drove in the winning run in the eighth inning Saturday, started the winning rally Sunday by lining a ball down the right-field line that first baseman Mark Trumbo smothered. But pitcher Jason Bulger bobbled the throw at first base and Getz was safe on an error. Getz then stole second base -- the Royals’ sixth steal in as many tries against Jeff Mathis -- and moved to third on a groundout before being retired in a rundown for the second out. Treanor then followed with the game-winning home run.

All three runs against Bulger were unearned.

The Royals’ third final at-bat victory erased a 19-hit Angels attack that included five home runs and a five-for-five day from Bobby Abreu, the third five-hit game of his career.

Twice the Angels rallied from deficits to take a two-run lead into the ninth inning with closer Fernando Rodney on the mound. But Rodney blew the save, walking three of the first four hitters he faced before surrendering a two-run double to Jeff Francoeur to send the game into extra innings.

For most of Sunday extra innings hardly seemed likely, with the Royals jumping on Scott Kazmir to take a 5-0 lead in the second.

But Maicer Izturis and Howie Kendrick brought the Angels back, homering on consecutive pitches to start the third. Back-to-back doubles by Alberto Callaspo and Trumbo led to two more runs in the fourth.

After Billy Butler pushed the Royals’ lead to 6-4 with a solo homer in the fourth, Kendrick homered again in the fifth, his third of the series. His next time up in the seventh Kendrick bunted for a hit and Abreu followed with his first homer of the season to give the Angels their first lead of the game.

That lead was short-lived, though, with Francoeur pulling the Royals even in the bottom of the inning with a run-scoring double on the second pitch reliever Michael Kohn threw. Kohn gave up a walk-off homer in his previous appearance Friday and Francoeur’s hit marked the third time in four games an Angels reliever has given up the go-ahead run.

The Angels wouldn’t quit, though, rallying again in the eighth. Peter Bourjos got things started with a one-out single to center. Izturis followed by lining a full-count pitch into the right-center-field gap to score Bourjos from first with the go-ahead run.

Callaspo added what looked to be nothing more than an insurance run with a solo home run in the ninth, the Angels’ ninth in four games -- eight of those coming with the bases empty. The last time the team had five homers in a game was in June of 2003.

By then Kazmir’s poor performance had been all but forgotten. Yet his unraveling Sunday was as quick as it was complete. The left-hander hit a batter with his second pitch and gave up a run-scoring single on his 11th. By the time he left 52 pitches later, he had given up five hits, including a home run, committed a balk, walked two men, hit a second batter and allowed two stolen bases.

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About the only thing he didn’t get charged with was the loss and for that he can thank a steady wind that was blowing out, occasionally at better than 40 mph.

The first three batters in the Angels’ order -- Izturis, Kendrick and Abreu -- combined to go 11 for 18 with five runs and six RBIs. But the next two batters, Torii Hunter and Vernon Wells, were 2 for 13, leaving nine men on base. The Angels went one for 10 as a team with runners in scoring position.

The teams combined to use 35 players, including 14 pitchers. The Angels used all seven of their relievers and ended the game with Jered Weaver and Dan Haren loosening up in the bullpen.

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-- Kevin Baxter, reporting from Kansas City, Mo.

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