Anaheim, Calif. ? Rookie Jered Weaver won his fourth straight start since getting promoted from the minors, and the Los Angeles Angels beat Kansas City, 4-1, Tuesday night, spoiling Brandon Duckworth’s Royals debut.

Weaver, the Angels’ first-round draft pick in June 2004, reduced his ERA to 1.37 and became the second pitcher in franchise history to win his first four major league starts. The other was Bo Belinsky, who won his first five starts in 1962 and finished his rookie season 10-11.

Weaver, the younger brother of Angels right-hander Jeff Weaver, allowed an unearned run and five hits over seven innings while striking out five and walking one. He has allowed just four earned runs, 16 hits and four walks in his 261â3 innings of work – and has received a total of 30 runs of support from his teammates.

Scot Shields pitched a scoreless eighth inning and Francisco Rodriguez did likewise in the ninth for his 15th save in 16 chances, as the last 14 batters for the Royals went down in order.

Duckworth (0-1) allowed two runs and six hits in 52â3 innings, striking out six and walking three. The right-hander, obtained from Pittsburgh on Saturday, became the 12th pitcher to start a game for the Royals this season – one more than they used last year.

Los Angeles Angels' Jered Weaver pitches against the Kansas City Royals. Weaver earned the win Tuesday in Anaheim, Calif., and improved to 4-0.

Darin Erstad, playing his second game since coming off the disabled list, gave the Angels a 2-1 lead in the fourth with a run-scoring groundout. Chone Figgins hit an RBI single in the seventh against Andrew Sisco, then stole second and third on Joel Peralta’s first three pitches before scoring the Angels’ fourth run on Orlando Cabrera’s groundout.

The Royals tied it 1-all in the top of the inning with an unearned run, the 44th allowed by Angels pitchers and one fewer than the staff gave up all of last season.

Mark Teahen’s infield hit to the right of the mound deflected off Weaver’s glove and rookie first baseman Kendry Morales made an ill-advised toss behind the pitcher near the bag, allowing Doug Mientkiewicz to score from second base. The error was only the second by Morales, who has started all 19 games since his promotion from Triple-A on May 22.

Cabrera singled in the Angels’ first and scored on a double to left-center by Vladimir Guerrero, who was thrown out by left fielder Shane Costa as he tried to make it to third. Costa misjudged Guerrero’s drive to the warning track, taking his eye off the catchable ball to see where center fielder David DeJesus was.

Cabrera has reached base in 43 consecutive games without the benefit of a fielder’s choice, the longest current streak in baseball and longest in club history. He has hit safely in 27 of his last 31 contests and is 25-for-54 over his last 14 games, raising his average from .271 to .313.

Notes: Duckworth played one season of college ball about seven miles from Angel Stadium at Cal State Fullerton, going 8-1 in 1997. As fate would have it, longtime Fullerton SID Mel Franks worked his first game as the backup official scorer to Ed Munson – who worked his 2,000th game last Friday night. It was only the second game Munson has missed as the Angels’ official scorer since opening day 1981. … Former Angels pitcher Chuck Finley, the franchise’s career leader in victories, starts and innings pitched, will be inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame on June 24 at Natchitoches, La.