Kansas City, Mo. ? Retiring batter after batter, Jarrod Washburn cruised into the seventh with a two-hit shutout and finally settled for a five-hitter as the Anaheim Angels beat the Kansas City Royals, 10-3, Friday night.

Bengie Molina had three hits and a career-high five RBIs for the Angels, who stopped the Royals’ three-game winning streak.

“It always feel great to contribute to a win,” Molina said. “I hope this is not the last game I have like this.”

Molina hit a three-run home run in the second off rookie Jimmy Gobble (2-3), added a sacrifice fly in the third and an RBI single in the seventh. Eric Owens had three RBIs, and Scott Spiezio had two.

Gobble began his major-league career by giving up only one run while beating Tampa Bay in each of his first two starts. But in his next three starts the 22-year-old left-hander has allowed 18 runs in 131/3 innings and lost to Minnesota, New York and Anaheim.

In six innings, he was charged with five runs on five hits. He walked four and did not get a strikeout for the first time in his five starts.

“I wasn’t hitting my spots the way I should, and I was leaving the ball up,” Gobble said. “The last three innings, I thought I pitched well. It wasn’t a quality start, but I went six innings, so it’s something to work with.”

Washburn (10-12) retired the first 12 batters until Carlos Beltran beat out an infield single leading off the fifth. Washburn was charged with one run on five hits, with four strikeouts and no walks.

As Washburn’s back began to ache, manager Mike Scioscia decided 62/3 innings were enough.

Anaheim's Bengie Molina, left, is congratulated by Scott Spiezio, right, and Shawn Wooten after Molina hit a three-run home run. The Angels beat the Royals, 10-3, Friday in Kansas City, Mo.

“My lower back hurt,” Washburn said. “I was hitting my spots real good with my fastball, using both sides of the plate. And using my defense. Guys played great behind me.”

Against the White Sox Aug. 8, Washburn retired the first 14 batters and had a no-hitter until Roberto Alomar’s leadoff single in the seventh. He wound up giving up four runs on four hits in 81/3 innings and lost, 4-2.

“The last couple of games, guys have scored a lot of runs for me. That’s always huge,” Washburn said. “I went through that bad stretch in midseason. I definitely feel more like myself now, getting back to my style of pitching.”

The Royals remained in a virtual tie with Chicago in the American League Central. The White Sox lost, 8-4, to the Detroit Tigers.

Joe Randa singled leading off the Kansas City seventh, stretching his hitting streak to 12 games, then Mike Sweeney doubled and Beltran dropped an RBI single into shallow center to make it 7-1.

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“The ball Randa hit was up,” Washburn said. “The other two hits were good pitches. Sometimes good hitters do their job. I felt like I had good stuff.”

With two outs and the bases loaded, reliever Ben Weber struck out Angel Berroa.

Greg Jones pitched two innings, allowing Raul Ibanez’s two-run double in the ninth.

Spiezio singled and Wooten walked in the second before Molina hit the first pitch for his 13th home run. In the third, Spiezio had an RBI double before Molina’s sacrifice fly.

The Angels took a 7-0 lead in the seventh on RBI singles off Jason Grimsley by Spiezio and Molina.

Owens had a two-run single off Graeme Lloyd in the eighth.

Notes: Royals RHP Kevin Appier will undergo surgery Tuesday to reattach and repair a flexor tendon in his right elbow. … Royals OF Rondell White left in the sixth inning because of tightness in his left leg. … Molina’s previous high for RBIs was four, which he’d done six times. … Anaheim infielders David Eckstein and Alfredo Amezaga underwent MRIs on Friday. The club said Eckstein had nerve irritation of the right leg whle Amezaga was diagnosed by Dr. Lewis Yocum with a torn labrun of the right shoulder. … Royals RHP Miguel Asencio, who went on the 60-day disabled list May 16 because of right elbow inflammation, was elevated to double-A Wichita this week but is not a candidate to return to the majors anytime soon.