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Angels starting pitcher Caden Dana throws to the plate during the first inning of a game against the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jo Adell has been swinging a hot bat for a few weeks. On Wednesday night, he was a one-man gang.

Adell homered and drove in every run for the Angels in their 4-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals. He hit a go-ahead homer in the sixth inning for the second consecutive game, his three-run shot to center field on the first pitch he saw from reliever John Schreiber giving the Angels a 3-2 lead in this one.

Yoán Moncada, aboard on a single when Adell went deep, doubled off Lucas Erceg (6-4) in the eighth before scoring when Adell hit a soft dribbler to the left side of the infield for a 4-3 advantage.

“I was just up there grinding,” Adell told MLB.com. “Erceg has a really good sinker. Just trying to put the ball in play and see what would happen. That one and the homer were both cool moments. But putting the team ahead [for good] with the grounder and having them have to make a play was probably more important tonight for me.”

Adell, whose 33 home runs and 90 RBIs are career highs, clubbed a go-ahead two-run home run in the sixth inning of a 5-1 victory on Tuesday. He has eight homers in his past 16 games.

Interim manager Ray Montgomery is impressed with the 26-year-old outfielder.

“The homer was incredible because the wind was pushing the ball down a little bit,” Montgomery told reporters. “I was equally impressed by the contact he made on the infield single. Jo just keeps putting up those types of at-bats. We should not be surprised anymore.”

Kyle Isbel was on second base in the eighth on Wednesday when Angels reliever Andrew Chafin struck out Bobby Witt Jr. for the second out. Chafin then fanned Vinnie Pasquantino in a 12-pitch duel to maintain the one-run lead.

Reid Detmers struck out two in the ninth for his third save.

Angels star Mike Trout sat out again after getting scratched from the lineup Tuesday night because of a skin infection on his left arm.

Caden Dana, recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake to start for the Angels, allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits and a walk while striking out four over five innings.

Dana, making his first start this season and the fourth of his career, retired the first six batters he faced. In the third, he allowed a bloop single to Michael Massey and walked Jac Caglianone. Isbel then laid down a bunt that Angels first baseman Oswald Peraza fielded, but he threw wildly to Luis Rengifo covering the bag, allowing the game’s first run. Caglianone scored on Mike Yastrzemski’s sacrifice fly for a 2-0 Royals lead.

“Errors are going to happen,” Dana told MLB.com. “That’s when the game tries to speed you up. You just think about how you planned to execute. Slow the game down as much as possible in those moments.”

Royals rookie Ryan Bergert allowed just one run on one hit and three walks while striking out six over five innings. He left with a 2-0 lead after issuing a leadoff walk to Zach Neto in the sixth. Schreiber came on and allowed an infield hit to Moncada but struck out Taylor Ward. However, Adell followed with his go-ahead blast.

The Royals answered in the bottom of the seventh, as Salvador Perez and Adam Frazier hit back-to-back doubles off Angels relieved Robert Stephenson (1-0) to tie the score at 3-all.

With the back-to-back wins, the Angels (66-73) secured their first winning road series since July 18-20 and improved to 5-4 on their 10-game trip.

The Angels, playing spoilers during the final month, go for a series sweep on Thursday.

“This is the group that will take us where we’re going,” Montgomery told reporters. “Every bit of experience we can get in these games, with stuff on the line, is going to make us better. When we come back in these situations, maybe a year from now, they’ve already done it and it’s a big help.”

Kansas City (70-69) has lost three in a row and seven of 11.

UP NEXT

Angels (RHP Kyle Hendricks, 6-9, 4.89 ERA) at Royals (LHP Noah Cameron, 7-6, 2.92), Thursday, 4:40 p.m. PT, FDSN West, 830 AM




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