Angels look ahead after beating Royals

You would think that equaling a franchise record for victories in April would be cause for celebration. But the Angels hadn’t even finished shaking hands after their 3-1 win over the Kansas City Royals on Monday before Manager Mike Scioscia flipped the pages of his calendar and began focusing on May.

“No sense looking back,” he said. “To meet the challenge of this season, this schedule, it keeps coming at you. Tough games are going to be there every night.

“The standings are going to be your report card. They’re going to reflect how you’re doing.”

In the Angels’ case, it’s a good reflection. Not only did they end the month at 15-11 and leading the American League West by two games, but they got there by winning nine of their last 11, including their last three on the road.

And by pounding out 10 hits -- including four doubles -- in six innings against starter Odalis Perez (2-3), the Angels stayed within three points of the league lead in hitting despite using a patchwork lineup that’s without two injured regulars.

“I like the way we’re getting after it on the field,” Scioscia said. “I like the type of game we’re bringing.”

Once again, it was Vladimir Guerrero who got the Angels started, lining a two-run double off the top of the center-field wall in the first inning, missing his eighth home run of the year by inches. In the Angels’ 15 victories, Guerrero has hit .436 with 19 runs batted in. In their nine losses, he has hit .222 with four RBIs.

“I can’t explain that,” said Guerrero, one of four Angels with two hits Monday. “I’m never trying to make outs. I’m just trying to win the game. Hopefully, as we go on we can continue winning.”

Ryan Shealy’s run-scoring two-out double halved the lead for the Royals in the second -- an inning that ended with center fielder Gary Matthews Jr. throwing Shealy out at the plate -- before Chone Figgins welcomed himself back to the Angels lineup with a run-scoring double in the fourth.

Still, the Angels wasted more opportunities than they cashed in, leaving six runners on and going three for 12 with men in scoring position. That forced John Lackey (4-2) to walk a tightrope through 6 1/3 innings in which he bent but never broke, giving up eight hits and a walk but inducing two double plays and stranding five baserunners.

“I was able to make some big pitches, especially in the sixth inning,” said Lackey, who gave up two hits, a walk, a stolen base and a wild pitch in the inning but got a double play and a strikeout to escape unscathed. “It felt pretty good. When you have a strikeout in your game, it’s always pretty nice.

“That’s kind of the way it’s been for me the last couple of years. I’ve got to pitch pretty good to win.”

Scioscia then went to his bullpen with Justin Speier striking out David DeJesus with the tying runs in scoring position to end the seventh inning. Scot Shields followed with a 1-2-3 eighth before Francisco Rodriguez struck out the side in the ninth to earn his third save in as many days, giving Lackey a chance to sum up April as the schedule entered May.

“Besides the one road trip, I think we’re playing pretty good baseball,” said the right-hander, who won four times in April for the first time in his career. “We’re pitching well and that’s kind of what we’re going to have to do to win games. And we’re scoring enough runs to win.”

kevin.baxter@latimes.com