KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Bartolo Colon allowed one hit through seven innings, then walked off the field with the team trainer after surrendering three more in the eighth of the Los Angeles Angels’ 5-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday night.

There was no immediate indication what, if anything, was wrong with the right-hander. Retiring 19 in a row in one stretch, Colon (11-4) wound up going 7 1-3 innings and giving up three runs and four hits, with five strikeouts and no walks.

Chone Figgins had three hits and scored twice for the AL West-leading Angels. Francisco Rodriguez earned his 15th save in 17 chances.

Jose Lima (1-7) gave up four runs and 10 hits in six innings, and his future with the Royals could be in question. The veteran right-hander now has only one win in 17 starts this year and an ERA of 7.58. His 73 earned runs and 80 total runs allowed are the most among AL pitchers.

Darin Erstad brought Figgins home with an RBI single in the first inning, then Garret Anderson doubled Figgins home in the third.

After Dallas McPherson had an RBI double in the fourth, Erstad singled, went to second on Lima’s wild pitch and made it 4-0 in the fifth on an RBI single by Vladimir Guerrero.

Maicer Izturis singled home a run in the eighth that gave the Angels a 5-0 lead.

Mike Sweeney grounded a ball up the middle with two outs in the first for an infield single, but the Royals did not get another baserunner until Emil Brown doubled leading off the eighth.

Tony Graffanino singled with one out and Ruben Gotay hit a two-run single into right, breaking Kansas City’s 21-inning scoreless streak.

Colon conferred on the mound with the trainer and manager Mike Scioscia and then was replaced by Rodriguez, who gave up an RBI double to Terrence Long that made it 5-3.

Second baseman Ruben Gotay and shortstop Angel Berroa turned an impressive double play in the fourth. Gotay snared Adam Kennedy’s grounder with a dive to his right and then flipped the ball to Berroa for the forceout while still on the ground. Berroa’s throw then barely beat the runner to first.

Notes: INF Orlando Cabrera, who has averaged 160 games the past four seasons, will be headed for the DL on Sunday with inflammation of the right elbow. He has missed eight of the last 10 games. The Angels made the announcement in the eighth inning. … Izturis’ RBI single in the fourth stretched his hitting streak to a career-best 10 games. … The Royals have lost 10 of their last 11.

AP-ES-07-02-05 2153EDT

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