MATT SHOEMAKER pitched five strong innings for the Angels on Saturday (Keith Allison photo).

The slide continues for the Los Angeles Angels, as they fell 3-2 to the Kansas City Royals Saturday for their fourth straight defeat. The loss dropped the Halos’ record to 6-6, good for second place in the American League West, two games behind the first place Houston Astros.

Collecting six hits over the course of the game, the Angels scored once in the first and again in the seventh. The Royals broke the 2-2 tie in the bottom of the eighth on Mike Moustakas’ home run.

At the plate, Ben Revere had two hits for the Angels and Mike Trout hit a hit and a walk. Revere and Albert Pujols each drove in a run.

Matt Shoemaker pitched fairly well, working five innings and giving up five hits and two runs. He struck out seven batters and walked two. The loss went to Jose Alvarez (0-1), who was touched for the winning homer.

Tyler Skaggs (0-1) will make the start Sunday in Kansas City against the Royals.

DUCKS GET SOME LUCK AND A WIN

Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good. The Anaheim Ducks took a 2-0 lead in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs Saturday as they defeated the Calgary Flames 3-2 at Honda Center.

Anaheim captain Ryan Getzlaf got the winning goal in the third period when his centering pass – whoops! – bounced off the skate of Calgary’s Lance Bouma and slid into the goal.

“Lucky. We worked hard for the faceoff to get the puck back. Sometimes luck is on your side,” said Getzlaf. “It wasn’t the prettiest hockey game that we’ve played, but it’s nice to get those bounces once in awhile.”

The win was the Ducks’ 29th straight home win over the Flames. The Ducks built a 2-0 lead on goals by Rickard Rakell and Jakob Silfverberg, but the visitors battled back to tie it. John Gibson had 35 saves in goal for Anaheim.

The series now goes back to Calgary on Monday for games three and four.