Royals Video

Lerew's first Major League win

Lerew strikes out seven

Angels Video

Pineiro's stellar start

Pineiro's strong start

In contrast, the Angels' Joel Pineiro had another hot June and has won his last five starts in a row.

There certainly aren't too many similarities between the starting pitchers in Sunday's series finale in Anaheim.

Lerew beat the White Sox on June 28 for his first win in his 17th Major League appearance. He debuted in 2005 for Atlanta, but missed the 2008 season because of Tommy John surgery.

"Nothing different. Just being focused and making sure I kept the ball down and threw strikes. Just get ahead of hitters and get quick outs," Lerew said when asked about getting the first win.

On the other side, Pineiro has allowed just 10 runs in 36 1/3 innings in his last five starts dating to June 6. His June ERA of 3.60 is the lowest of any month in his career, while he has also, historically, had success in July (3.93 ERA).

"I've just been keeping the ball down and my pitching and defense have made plays behind me," Pineiro said.

Pineiro has 95 wins under his belt, including 51 at home. For Lerew, he's still hoping to get that elusive first road win under his belt.

"Now I need my first win on the road," Lerew said. "So, hopefully, on July 4th I can get my first win on the road."

Royals: Podsednik putting charge in lineup
Leadoff hitter Scott Podsednik pushed his average to .302 with a 2-for-4 performance on Saturday. He's hit safely in six straight games and is 4-for-12 lifetime against Pineiro.

Third baseman Alberto Callaspo was out of the Royals' starting lineup on Saturday night with a sore left wrist.

"Ky-Yo [Friday] night in his last at-bat kind of strained something in his wrist or hand, so we're giving him a day off to allow that to feel a little better," Royals manager Ned Yost said.

Angels: Rivera still out with eye injury
Juan Rivera missed his fourth straight game on Saturday because of an ailment in his left eye. Although his vision is 20-20, he is still likely a few days away and is not expected to be in the lineup Sunday night.

Erick Aybar broke up Bruce Chen's no-hit bid in the seventh inning Saturday and recorded two of the Angels' four hits. It marked his fifth two-hit game in his last six-starts.

Worth noting
The Royals are going for their first three-game series sweep of the season. They previously took both games in a two-game set with the Indians in May. ... Bobby Abreu and Hideki Matsui are the only Angels to have faced Lerew before. They're a combined 0-for-4.