Angels hold off Royals

? Bobby Abreu had three hits and drove in four runs to help the Los Angeles Angels defeat the Kansas City Royals, 6-4, on Monday night.

The Angels hung on to win for just the third time in their last seven games after blowing most of a 5-0 lead.

Ervin Santana (11-8) allowed three runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings. The right-hander struck out three and walked one.

Brian Fuentes retired pinch-hitter Brayan Pena on a fly ball with the tying runs in scoring position in the ninth to earn his 22nd save in 26 chances.

Sean O’Sullivan (0-3) gave up six runs and 10 hits in 6 1/3 innings in his fourth start for the Royals since being traded by the Angels on July 22. The right-hander struck out six and walked one.

Batting in the leadoff position for the fourth consecutive game, Abreu continued to live up to his reputation as a hot hitter in August, when his career average is .315. He has 22 RBIs in his last 24 games. He fell a triple short of hitting for the cycle.

The Angels led 1-0 on Hideki Matsui’s RBI groundout in the first. Abreu’s two-run double with two outs in the second made it 3-0.

He followed in the fourth with his 13th homer, a two-run shot over the wall in right field for a 5-0 lead.

The Angels’ sixth run came on a balk by Kanekoa Texeira in the seventh.

Yuniesky Betancourt homered in the fifth for the Royals’ first run.

They added two more in the seventh.