Rodriguez cleans up his mess

The Angels got the big hit from Garret Anderson, a two-out, three-run double in the third inning, a bend-but-don’t break start from Jon Garland, and 1 2/3 innings of superb setup work from Justin Speier and Scot Shields.

Then they held their breath Thursday night as closer Francisco Rodriguez teetered his way through another shaky save in the ninth.

Rodriguez, relying more on off-speed pitches than his once-proud fastball, gave up three hits for one run before getting pinch-hitter Miguel Olivo to pop to first and striking out Mark Grudzielanek to secure the Angels’ 5-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals.

This was not vintage Rodriguez, by any stretch. His fastball, which used to hit 94-95 mph regularly, topped out at 91 mph. His slider, while effective, didn’t have its usual bite. His best pitch right now may be his changeup.

“Little by little, it’s coming,” said Rodriguez, who has been slowed by a pair of sprained ankles. “If you locate pitches, the velocity doesn’t matter.”

It seemed to matter Thursday, as it has so far in a season in which Rodriguez has a 6.14 earned-run average in eight games. All three Royals singles in the ninth were hit hard, though Rodriguez found his bearings for the final two outs.

“You make your mess, you have to clean it up,” Rodriguez said. “That’s the way it is.”

Manager Mike Scioscia considers it progress.

“He’s maybe not as locked in as he will be, but he’s evolving as a pitcher, mixing in his changeup, throwing some terrific breaking balls,” Scioscia said. “Give it some time. He’s working his way back. I anticipate him being every bit as good as he’s been the last four years.”

Garland was just good enough Thursday night, giving up two runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 sometimes harrowing innings to improve to 17-6 lifetime with a 3.51 ERA against the Royals.

The right-hander looked far better than he did in his previous two starts, losses to Texas and Seattle in which he gave up 10 earned runs and 20 hits, including three home runs, but he seemed one big hit away from disaster.

After Jose Guillen’s run-scoring double pulled Kansas City to within a run, 3-2, in the fourth, the Royals had runners on first and third, but catcher Jeff Mathis gunned down Alex Gordon on an attempted steal at second to end the inning.

Kansas City had two on with one out in the sixth, but Guillen bounced into a 6-4-3 double play. Garland gave up one-out singles to Ross Gload and John Buck in the seventh and was replaced by Speier, who got pinch-hitter Alberto Callaspo to fly to center.

Joey Gathright singled to load the bases, but Grudzielanek grounded to third, ending the inning.

“Huge, huge,” Garland said of the two double plays the Angels turned behind him. “That’s a big part of my success, defense. I’m not going to strike out 10 a game.”

One hanging breaking ball spoiled the evening for Royals starter Brett Tomko, who retired the first six batters he faced before the Angels loaded the bases with two outs in the third.

Tomko got ahead of Anderson, 1-and-2, but spun off a curve that was up, over the plate and had little bite. Anderson, who entered with a .235 average and six runs batted in, pounced on it, driving it to the wall in right-center for a three-run double, giving the Angels a 3-1 lead.

“That’s what I’ve been doing my whole career,” Anderson said. “I want to be up in that situation. I haven’t come through that often early in the season.”

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