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(Sports Network) - Ervin Santana has a chance to join some select company when the red-hot right-hander takes the mound for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in tonight's opener of a three-game series with the host Kansas City Royals from Kauffman Stadium.

Santana is seeking to become only the fourth pitcher in Angels history to start a season 6-0, although he still wouldn't be the first Anaheim pitcher to accomplish the feat this year. That honor belongs to Joe Saunders, who picked up another win in Sunday's 6-5 triumph over Baltimore in the rubber match of a three-game series from Angel Stadium.

Saunders (6-0) wasn't at his best against the Orioles, as the young lefty was tagged for four runs and 12 hits before exiting after five innings. The Anaheim bullpen was able to protect the lead, however, with five Angels relievers combining to hold Baltimore to one run over the final four frames.

All of Anaheim's runs came via the long ball on Sunday. Gary Matthews Jr. led off the bottom of the first with a solo blast and Torii Hunter slugged a three-run shot later in the opening frame for a 4-2 Angels' advantage. Robb Quinlan added a two-run homer in the third to help the Angels win for the fourth time in six games.

Santana will put a four-start win streak on the line tonight and was terrific in his last trip to the hill, when the right-hander limited Oakland to one unearned run and four hits in 6 2/3 innings of work on Wednesday.

The 25-year-old currently ranks third among American League hurlers with a 2.48 earned run average and has allowed three runs or less in each of six 2008 starts. Santana has also won all three of his road outings this season and pitched to a 3.72 ERA over those games.

Santana has not had much success when facing the Royals, however. In four previous starts against Kansas City, the native Dominican is 1-2 with a 6.04 ERA and lost both his matchups with the Royals last season.

Kansas City returns home off an encouraging sweep of a weather-shortened two- game series at defending AL Central champion Cleveland over the weekend. After downing the Tribe by a 4-2 count on Saturday, the Royals received seven stellar innings out of Gil Meche in yesterday's 2-0 win.

Meche (2-4) gave up just four hits and did not walk a batter to halt a personal two-start losing streak. Leo Nunez came on in the eighth and kept the shutout intact before turning things over to Joakim Soria, who set the Indians down in order in the ninth to notch his eighth save.

Miguel Olivo finished 2-for-4 for the Royals and gave his club some insurance with a solo home run in the top of the ninth.

Starting off this current 10-game homestand for Kansas City will be the struggling Brett Tomko. The well-traveled veteran lasted just 3 1/3 innings in his most recent start, a no-decision at Texas on Tuesday, and was reached for five runs on seven hits before exiting.

Tomko wasn't any better his previous time out, when he was lit up for seven runs (6 earned) and 11 hits in just four innings during a home loss to Cleveland on April 24.

The 35-year-old was also handed a defeat by the Angels in Anaheim last month, Tomko's first career decision in eight appearances (3 starts) against tonight's opponent. In that game, he allowed five runs on six hits and worked a season-high seven innings.

The Royals split a two-game set at Angels Stadium from April 16-17 and have taken six of the last seven meetings between these teams. Anaheim is 9-4 at Kauffman Stadium since the start of the 2005 campaign, however.