ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Jeff DaVanon learned a lot about preparation from utility outfielder Orlando Palmeiro, one of the unsung heroes of the Anaheim Angels' first World Series title.
DaVanon came off the bench Saturday and hit a go-ahead two-run single in the seventh inning as the Angels beat the Kansas City Royals 6-5 in the first game of a doubleheader.
"One thing Orlando really emphasized was to try to stick to your strengths and not your weaknesses. And that's what I'm trying to do right now," DaVanon said. "He would sit there and talk to me, and I think that without him, his game would never have progressed like it has."
DaVanon raised his average to .301 and his RBI total to 41 in 106 games. He is 6-for-14 this season as a pinch-hitter. Manager Mike Scioscia also credits Palmeiro -- now a St. Louis Cardinal -- for a lot of DaVanon's progress.
"Orlando is about as good as reading situations, watching the game, knowing what you need to do and being ready to go in and do a job," Scioscia said. "Mentally, Orlando prepared himself well and became a very tough out and a very good pinch-hitter and clutch hitter.
"The hitting perspective he had is something that he passed on to a lot of our younger players. Although Jeff doesn't have a lot of major league experience, I think the improvement we've seen in him has been tremendous. And a lot of that has to be attributed to his mental preparation because he's been terrific -- especially coming off the bench."
The winning rally started with Jose Molina's two-out blooper that fell between second baseman Desi Relaford and right fielder Aaron Guiel. Wilson Delgado followed with a single that chased starter Darrell May, and Chone Figgins greeted Jason Grimsley (2-5) with an RBI double inside first base to slice the Royals' lead to 5-4.
DaVanon was sent up to bat for Eric Owens and slashed a 1-2 pitch through the left side of the infield to score Delgado and Figgins.
"I'd never seen him before. I knew he had a good sinker, but I didn't know he had that good of a sinker," DaVanon said. "His ball started over the middle of the plate and then sunk about a foot outside. So I decided to move up in the box to take some of the sink away."
Ben Weber (5-1) pitched two innings, allowing a run and five hits after replacing starter Scot Shields.
Francisco Rodriguez pitched a perfect eighth inning and Troy Percival worked the ninth for his 30th save, the sixth straight season that the Angels' career saves leader has at least 30.
Shields allowed four runs and seven hits over five innings in his seventh start since Kevin Appier was released.
Shields, who has yet to win consecutive starts since joining the rotation on April 3, escaped a bases-loaded jam in the fourth after hitting two batters. But Kansas City took a 4-3 lead in the fifth when Carlos Beltran singled, stole second and scored on one of Ken Harvey's three singles.
Harvey singled with two outs in the seventh and scored Kansas City's fifth run when Angel Berroa tripled to left-center.
May was staked to a 3-0 lead before the Angels tied it with three in the fourth. They loaded the bases with a leadoff single by Owens and a pair of two-out walks before Quinlan hit a bloop single to center that scored two. Molina singled home the tying run one out later.
"That's going to happen," Royals manager Tony Pena said. "He kept us in the ballgame and pitched six great innings."
Raul Ibanez snapped an 0-for-18 skid with a leadoff single in the second and scored the game's first run on Relaford's groundout. Beltran made it 3-0 in the third, hitting his 22nd homer off the right-field pole with two outs after a single by Joe Randa.
Notes: The first game of the doubleheader was a make up of a rainout last Saturday in Kansas City, but the teams had no off days in common the rest of the season to play the game in Kansas City before the end of the regular season. ... The doubleheader is the Angels' first at home since Aug. 20, 1988, when the Yankees swept them 7-3 and 8-5. One of those games was a makeup from a rainout at New York. The last regularly scheduled doubleheader in Anaheim was on Sept. 9, 1978, when the Angels swept Kansas City 3-2 and 4-2. ... RHP Jamey Wright, who made his Royals debut in the nightcap, became the 53rd different player the team has used this season - breaking the club record set last year. Wright also became the 15th pitcher manager Tony Pena has used in a starting role, tying Texas for the major league lead.
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