TYLER SKAGGS pitched seven shutout innings Sunday in the Angels’ 1-0 loss to the Royals (Flickr/Keith Allison).

Thirteen games into the 2017 season, the Los Angeles Angels are looking a bit like the 2016 edition: When they hit well, they don’t pitch and when they pitch well they don’t hit.

The later situation was on hand Sunday as the Halos suffered their fifth loss in a row, falling 1-0 to the Kansas City Royals despite a stellar start by Tyler Skaggs. The Royals scored the games’ only run in the bottom of the ninth on a single by Alcides Escobar, dropping the Angels to 6-7.

Against Ian Kennedy and the rest of the KC pitching staff, the Halos could only manage two hits, one by C.J. Cron and one by Cliff Pennington. Kennedy went eight innings, yielding two hits and two walks while striking out 10. Skaggs matched him closely, working seven innings while giving up just four hits, striking out nine and walking two.

Sunday’s win allowed the Royals to sweep the three-game series from the Angels and square their record at 6-6. “We hit the ball hard the whole series,” said Albert Pujols, who was 0-for-2 with a walk. “We just need a couple of breaks here and there to go our way and we’ll be all right.”

The Angels will be in Houston Monday to start a series with the Astros (8-4), who now lead the AL West Division by 2.5 games over the second place Halos.