KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Even without his best stuff, Jered Weaver won again.

Struggling early with his breaking ball, the 6-foot-7 right-hander still became the first rookie in 25 years to win his first seven starts yesterday, pitching the Los Angeles Angels past the Kansas City Royals, 3-1.

Not since Fernando Valenzuela went 8-0 for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1981 had any rookie launched his career with seven wins in seven starts.

"We're getting wins. That's all I really care about," Weaver said. "For my first seven, I've been able to do that. We've just got to keep it rolling, and hopefully we'll get good defense like we've been having in my seven games."

How good has the No. 12 pick of the 2004 draft been?

He went 6 2/3 innings in his second start against Kansas City, giving up three hits and one run. His ERA actually went up — from 1.12 to 1.15 in 47 innings.

"What I was impressed with was the way Jered pitched around the fact he didn't have command of his breaking ball, although he wasn't missing by much," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "He was able to get his fastball over, and he threw some nice breaking balls when he had to. But he pitched without his best stuff."

Robb Quinlan hit a two-run single and Adam Kennedy added an RBI single, sending the surging Angels to their eighth win in 11 games. They improved to 15-4 in July.

Weaver gave up only an infield single until the sixth, when the Royals broke through for their lone run. He was relieved by J.C. Romero after hitting Angel Berroa with a pitch.

This seventh straight victory, and the way Weaver got it, did a lot to boost his confidence.

"Being able to get people out when I didn't have my best stuff, it's definitely a confidence-builder," he said. "That was the big key."

Romero got out of the seventh and Scot Shields worked a scoreless eighth. Francisco Rodriguez pitched the ninth for his 25th save in 27 chances.

TIGERS 8, ATHLETICS 4

DETROIT — Carlos Guillen tripled, doubled and singled, leading Detroit over Oakland. Magglio Ordonez added a two-run single and scored twice, and Brandon Inge had three hits for the Tigers.

TWINS 3, INDIANS 1

CLEVELAND — Rookie Francisco Liriano (12-2) struck out 10 in five innings, and Minnesota tied a 40-year-old team record with 17 strikeouts in a victory over Cleveland. The 17 strikeouts set an Indians record for a nine-inning game and tied the Twins' mark set May 6, 1966, at Boston. Liriano gave up one run and four hits while walking three.

WHITE SOX 5, RANGERS 0

CHICAGO — Jon Garland (6-3) came within two outs of a shutout and Chicago beat Texas to snap a four-game losing streak. Garland gave up six hits, struck out three and walked one in 8 1/3 innings. Matt Thornton got the final two outs.

MARINERS 9, RED SOX 8

SEATTLE — Richie Sexson homered leading off the bottom of the ninth inning to give Seattle a victory over Boston. Adrian Beltre hit the first inside-the-park homer in the seven-year history of Safeco Field and Eduardo Perez also homered and drove in three runs for the Mariners.

BLUE JAYS 13, YANKEES 5

TORONTO — Vernon Wells hit two of Toronto's five homers and the Blue Jays scored eight times in the third inning to rout New York.

ORIOLES 4, DEVIL RAYS 2

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Erik Bedard pitched seven strong innings to win his seventh consecutive start and Melvin Mora hit a tiebreaking single in the eighth as Baltimore beat Tampa Bay. Bedard (12-6) gave up two runs and three hits.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

BRAVES 5, PHILLIES 1

PHILADELPHIA — Edgar Renteria homered and doubled home the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth inning to lift Atlanta over Philadelphia. Jeff Francoeur added a three-run homer in the ninth for the Braves, who snapped a two-game losing streak.

PADRES 6, GIANTS 5

SAN FRANCISCO — Mike Cameron tripled leading off the 12th inning and scored on a sacrifice fly by pinch-hitter Eric Young, and San Diego avoided its first four-game sweep in San Francisco in nearly 13 years to regain the NL West lead.

CARDINALS 6, DODGERS 1

LOS ANGELES — Jason Marquis became the NL's first 12-game winner, Juan Encarnacion homered twice and St. Louis swept the season series from Los Angeles for the first time in the 115-year rivalry. Marquis (12-7) allowed four hits in eight shutout innings.

BREWERS 4, REDS 1

CINCINNATI — Tomo Ohka allowed three hits in eight innings and Milwaukee avoided a three-game sweep by beating Cincinnati. In his second start since coming off the disabled list, Ohka (3-1) allowed only a pair of singles and a solo homer. The right-hander struck out a season-high seven.

ROCKIES 9, DIAMONDBACKS 7

PHOENIX — Garrett Atkins hit a two-run double with one out in the ninth inning to help Colorado beat Arizona.

ASTROS 8, METS 4

NEW YORK — Pitcher Roy Oswalt singled to touch off a four-run rally in the fifth and Houston came from behind to beat New York.

MARLINS 5, PIRATES 4

MIAMI — Dan Uggla homered in the third inning, then singled home the winning run with one out in the ninth, helping Florida beat Pittsburgh.

NATIONALS 7, CUBS 1

WASHINGTON — Alfonso Soriano and Ryan Church homered, and Washington beat Chicago to complete its first home sweep of the season. Tony Armas Jr. (7-5) allowed one run and three hits for the Nationals.