GARRETT RICHARDS pitched five strong innings Saturday as the Angels defeated the Royals 5-3 for their seventh straight win (Flickr/Keith Richards).

The Los Angeles Angels are like the postmen of yore …neither rain nor sleet … 

In a game that turned into a snowstorm in the latter innings Saturday in Kansas City, the Halos hung on and defeated the Royals 5-3 for their seventh straight victory.

With three home runs and a solid start by Garrett Richards, the Orange County team not only kept its winning streak going but moved further ahead of the Houston Astros in the American League West. The Angels are now 13-3, putting them 2.5 games up on the Astros (10-5), who lost to the Texas Rangers 6-5.  They have second-best record in big league baseball, trailing only the Boston Red Sox.

Home runs by Luis Valbuena (his third of the season), Justin Upton (fourth) and Mike Trout (sixth) powered much of the offense for the team, which is off to its best start since the franchise was established in 1961. Trout had two RBIs, along with Kole Calhoun and Zack Kozart.

Richards (2-0) gave up just one hit and one run in five innings. He struck out five batters and walked three. The Royals threatened late as snowflakes fluttered across the field and made everything a bit slippery. They scored one run each in the seventh and eighth innings, but Blake Wood and Keynan Middleton stopped KC as the game wound down.

The Angels will feature two-way star Shohei Ohtani (2-0) on the mound on Sunday against the Royals, whose overall record fell to 3-10.