Royals Pound Angels, 12-4

On the day he was named AL Player of the month, Joe Randa didn't break stride.

Randa had three hits, including his 14th homer, helping fuel a 17-hit attack Monday night that carried the Kansas City Royals to a 12-4 victory over the Anaheim Angels.

"We were looking for players who would fit this team because of their character and what they would do if they were given the opportunity to play every day. And that's what happened with Joe."

Jermaine Dye homered, drove in four runs and scored three times for the Royals. He leads the club with 87 RBIs and 21 homers and is batting .310.

"I've been getting clutch hits when we need them and getting those RBIs every night, which is what I want to do," Dye said. The guys in front of me have been getting on. We've got five guys hitting over .300 and having great years."

The Royals staked Jose Rosado (7-8) to an 11-0 lead before the left-hander gave up three runs in the seventh. Rosado, who won consecutive starts for the first time this season, gave up seven hits in seven innings and struck out five to hand the Angels their 15th loss in 17 games.

The Royals built a 7-0 lead in the first two innings against Jack McDowell (0-3), making his third start since returning from offseason surgery on his elbow and shoulder. The right-hander allowed nine runs and 10 hits in three-plus innings.

All five runs in the first were earned, espite a fielding error by right fielder Tim Salmon on a leadoff single by Johnny Damon, and a wild relay throw by second baseman Andy Sheets on Chad Kreuter's potential double-play grounder to shortstop.

Dye, who had an RBI groundout during the rally, homered with two out in the second inning for his 21st of the season after McDowell walked Carlos Beltran. Carlos Febles led off the fourth with his eighth homer and Dye made it 9-0 with an RBI single against Al Levine.

"His offensive numbers speak for themselves. He's kind of grown up right before our eyes," Muser said. "We were starting to get impatient with him, wondering when he was going to come around."

"But he was bound and determined this winter to get in great shape and he came to spring training with a different look in his eye. Then when we traded Jeff Conine and there was no one in front of him, he was able to take the job."

McDowell surrendered nine earned runs for the second time in his career. The other time was July 18, 1995 against the Chicago White Sox, when he was booed off the mound at Yankee Stadium and gave an obscene gesture to the crowd on his way to the dugout.

"In his last two outings he was on the corners and knee-high," Angels manager Terry Collins said. "Today he got his pitches up and in the middle of the plate. That's not him. That was the whole difference tonight."

Troy Glaus doubled home Anaheim's first two runs and scored the third run on Sheets' RBI groundout.

Monday's game marked the season debut of Jim Edmonds, who was activated from the 60-day disabled list by the Angels on Monday after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on April 19 to repair the torn labrum in his right shoulder.

The two-time Gold Glove centerfielder was the designated hitter and doubled home a run in the eighth. Edmonds hasn't been cleared to play in the field by the team's medical staff.

"It wasn't too exciting, but it was good to be back," Edmonds said. "I was bored DH-ing by the second inning. I wanted to play in the outfield. I knew going into the game I was going to have trouble with Jose Rosado because he's tough on lefties. But he's tough on you whe you're in midseason form."

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