Angels are no match for lowly Royals, 12-4

Honey, somebody shrunk the Angels.

The team that three days ago was being touted by some as the best in baseball, that was racking up hits by the boatload, circling the bases at a frenetic pace and containing opponents with crisp pitching, was crushed by the lowly Kansas City Royals, 12-4, Tuesday night in Angel Stadium.

Joey Gathright had two doubles, a single and scored twice, Billy Butler and John Buck hit home runs, and Alex Gordon capped a five-run eighth inning with a three-run homer, as the Royals, who began the game with the American League’s worst record, beat the Angels for the second straight night.

It marked only the fourth time since May 6 and 8 that the Angels, whose AL West lead over Seattle shrank to six games, have lost two games in a row, the first time since May 6 and 8 they’ve lost two in a row at home, and it ended their consecutive series winning streak at nine.

Ervin Santana (5-8) was roughed up for seven runs -- five earned -- and nine hits in five innings. The Angels committed three errors, and they failed to put much of a dent in starter Gil Meche, who gave up three runs and seven hits in six innings, striking out six, to improve to 5-6.

“They outplayed us for two games in every aspect of baseball,” Manager Mike Scioscia said of the Royals. “We cracked the door open too often. The Royals are a young and aggressive club, and they took it to us these two games.”

Santana did not take it to the Royals. Not even close.

Among the nine hits he gave up were two home runs, increasing his league-leading total to 19 given up. He walked two, hit two batters, and a wild pitch cost him a run. For the first time in 16 starts, he did not strike out a batter.

“Ervin did not get into a real good rhythm,” Scioscia said. “He didn’t really turn the ball loose. We didn’t see the good life we know is in his arm. Consequently, he was in some trouble, and he couldn’t minimize damage.”

John Lackey and Jered Weaver suffered minor shoulder injuries in the last two weeks. Could Santana be ailing, too?

“We’re going to talk to him [today] to find out,” Scioscia said. “I didn’t see that aggressiveness that’s in him. It seems like right now he’s searching. If he’s fine physically, that will be a relief. He hasn’t given us any indication he’s hurt. He just didn’t turn the ball loose like he can.”

Santana, who has given up 11 runs -- nine earned -- and 18 hits in 11 2/3 innings of his last two starts, both at home, was not available for comment.

Pitching coach Mike Butcher said Santana gave no indication he was injured, but “it looked like he paced himself tonight. I’d like to see him more aggressive from the get-go.”

Santana got some, but not enough, defensive support. Third baseman Chone Figgins threw wide of first twice on sacrifice bunts, miscues that contributed to the Royals’ four-run fifth inning and two-run sixth.

Long after Santana departed, catcher Jose Molina, who has one of baseball’s strongest arms, threw the ball into left field on Gathright’s steal of third base, which enabled Gathright to score in the eighth.

Santana held the Royals scoreless through three innings, thanks to left fielder Nathan Haynes’ throw to the plate to cut down Gathright, who tried to score on Esteban German’s single in the third. Haynes’ one-out triple and Reggie Willits’ suicide squeeze gave the Angels a 1-0 lead in the third.

But Butler’s home run in the fourth tied the score, 1-1, and the Royals broke out for four runs in the fifth.

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mike.digiovanna@latimes.com