Early homers help Angels' Joe Saunders win sixth in a row

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Los Angeles Angels struck three early home runs and Joe Saunders won his sixth consecutive game despite a poor performance in a 6-5 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday.

Gary Matthews Jr. and Torii Hunter homered for the American League West Division-leading Angels in a four-run first inning and Robb Quinlan hit a two-run shot in the third for a 6-3 lead.

Saunders (6-0) remained undefeated despite giving up four runs and 12 hits in five innings. He struck out one and walked none.

"He just really wasn't in sync from the beginning," Angels manager Mike Scioscia told reporters.

Saunders acknowledged it was an indifferent performance.

"I had my normal fastball, but my curveball was sporadic," he told reporters. "When I got ahead on guys, it was a struggle for me to make my pitch."

Baltimore's Kevin Millar and Ramon Hernandez hit run-scoring singles off Saunders in the first to give the Orioles the early lead.

A potential third run was avoided when Angels catcher Jeff Mathis threw out Brian Robert's attempted steal of third base.

"We noted in meetings how (Roberts) likes to take third, Mathis told reporters. "Joe (Saunders) was aware of that and gave me a chance to throw him out, and luckily I made a good throw."

HOME RUN

The Orioles got their third run two innings later on Melvin Mora's home run.

Millar drove in another run off Saunders with a fifth-inning single to cut the Los Angeles lead to 6-4.

Baltimore pulled within a run when Nick Markakis homered off Angels reliever Justin Speier in the seventh but could not score again.

Scot Shields pitched a scoreless eighth and Francisco Rodriguez gained his Major League-leading 13th save by retiring the Orioles in the ninth.

Steve Trachsel (1-4) took the loss, his fourth in a row. He yielded six runs, seven hits and all three homers in just three innings.

"I felt great," Trachsel told reporters. "I warmed up well. ...The guys gave me a quick two-run lead. ... I just squandered it."

(Writing by Gene Cherry in Salvo, North Carolina; Editing by Ed Osmond)