Surging Angels roll over Kansas City, 5-1

? Troy Glaus hit a tiebreaking single in the eighth inning and Garret Anderson followed with a three-run homer as the Anaheim Angels beat the Kansas City Royals 5-1 Tuesday night for their 20th victory in 23 games.

Jose Nieves and Adam Kennedy both reached on errors to open the seventh, leading to four unearned runs against reliever Dan Reichert (2-5).

Third baseman Joe Randa misplayed Nieves’ routine grounder, and A.J. Hinch who came in to catch after Juan Brito was lifted for a pinch runner threw wildly past second on a bunt in front of the plate by Kennedy.

Both runners advanced on Darin Erstad’s sacrifice, and the Angels broke open the game on the next two pitches as Glaus singled and Anderson hit his seventh homer.

Dennis Cook (1-0) got one out for the victory, retiring Carlos Beltran on a grounder with the go-ahead run at second in the seventh.

Miguel Asencio, plucked out of the Kansas City bullpen to make his first major league start, threw 80 pitches and held the Angels hitless through the first 42/3 innings. He allowed one run and one hit over five, striking out four and walking four.

Manager Tony Pena, strapped for a starting pitcher because of Chris George’s injured middle finger, said before batting practice that his decision to give Asencio his first start came four days earlier. But Pena didn’t tell anyone including the 21-year-old rookie, who found out when the team returned to their hotel after Monday night’s loss.

Asencio walked three of his first eight batters and stranded a runner at second base in each of the first two innings before giving up his only hit a two-out RBI single in the fifth by Adam Kennedy. It came on an 0-1 pitch and drove in Scott Spiezio, who drew a leadoff walk and advanced on a groundout.

Mike Sweeney and Michael Tucker singled in the second inning against Anaheim’s Aaron Sele and advanced on a wild pitch before Raul Ibanez’s groundout delivered Sweeney with the game’s first run.

Notes: Asencio’s longest relief stint for the Royals was three innings. He was the 10th different pitcher to start a game for them this season, matching last year’s total. … Angels SS and leadoff hitter David Eckstein sat out for the first time this season with a sprained left knee, which he injured while avoiding a tag at first base in the fourth inning Monday night. He was the only Angels player to start at the same position through the first 42 games, and in the same spot in the batting order.