ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Like actors who find favorite characters, Cameron Maybin and Alex Meyer have slipped into very comfortable roles for the Los Angeles Angels.

Center fielder Maybin continued to thrive in the leadoff spot Saturday night, hitting the first pitch he saw for a home run to center to start the Angels on their way to a 9-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals. He also had a stolen base, his league-leading 21st of the season.

The 6-foot-9 Meyer, meanwhile, had his sixth straight fine effort on the mound, holding the red-hot Royals to two hits and a walk in six shutout innings. In a season where injuries shelled the Angels' rotation, he's been a bright spot for the present and future.

Maybin's home run was his fourth, equaling his output last season in Detroit. He also extended his streak of reaching base in a game to 22.

In the 20 games Maybin has hit in the No. 1 spot, he is hitting .387 with 24 runs scored, 13 extra-base hits and 12 steals. He also doubled and stole third in the seventh, starting a four-run rally that put the game away. He's only been thrown out stealing once in 2017.

"Everyone finds a nut every once in a while," Maybin chuckled about the home run. It's the third leadoff home run in his career. "Sometimes a pitcher will try to throw a strike with his first pitch, so I went up there looking for something over the plate. I always think it's a boost to give your starting pitcher room to breath.

"Hitting leadoff is very comfortable for me. I feel good at the top, trying to provide energy to start the game off. If I get on, the guys after me might get good pitches to hit. I'll always be looking to run when I can."

Meyer (3-3) silenced a Royals team that had 10 or more hits in their last four games, hitting .350 in that span with 25 runs.

Meyer, who was obtained last season in a trade with Minnesota, has thrown 33 innings in his last six starts and allowed seven earned runs -- good for a 1.91 ERA -- and 21 hits while striking out 41. His nine strikeouts Saturday equaled his season and career high.

"I felt good with everything today," Meyer said. "It was another step in the right direction. The next step is pitching in the seventh (inning). I want to be consistent and the kind of pitcher a coaching staff can trust."

"It may not show from game to game, but the leap he's made from last winter in his mechanics and finding a rhythm is light years ahead of here he was," Scioscia said.

Meyer worked out of a jam in the Royals sixth that he didn't create. Third baseman Yunel Escobar bobbled a grounder and second baseman Danny Espinosa dropped a throw on a double-play ball by Whit Merrifield to put two on with no outs.

But Meyer induced Jorge Bonifacio to hit into a double play, worked around Lorenzo Cain with a five-pitch walk and struck out Eric Hosmer to end the rally.

Royals manager Ned Yost praised Meyer's work, extolling his ability to throw his curve for strikes. But he also said the shadows early were a factor in a game that started at 5:15 p.m.

"The shadows were difficult, for both sides," he said. "Jake (Junis, the Royals starter) struggled with command and left the ball over a big part of the plate a few times.

"It's been a good road trip, but we're not done yet."

The Royals are 6-2 on the trip going into Sunday's series and road trip finale.

NOTES: Angels DH Albert Pujols hit his 11th home run of the season and 602nd of his career - a two-run shot that moved him into 10th place on the all-time RBI list with 1,865. ... Angels 2B Danny Espinosa had a two-run single, giving him 10 RBIs in his last 12 games after driving in only three in the month of May. ... Royals C Salvador Perez was not in the starting lineup, given the day off by manager Ned Yost. 3B Cheslor Cuthbert got the start at designated hitter ahead of Brandon Moss (.182). ... Angels RHP Cam Bedrosian was activated from the disabled list Saturday and pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning. The 25-year-old has been on the DL since suffering a groin injury in his third appearance of the season. ... Angels RHP Matt Shoemaker has been placed on the 10-day DL because of tightness in his right forearm. He suffered the injury in his last start Wednesday against the Yankees. It is not considered a long-term injury but he has yet to resume throwing, leading the club to put him on the DL since he will miss at least one turn in the rotation. ... The Angels recalled RHP Parker Bridwell from Salt Lake City and optioned Daniel Wright. ... The Angels and Royals wore uniforms with light blue hats, socks and uniform trim as part of a Father's Day and prostate cancer awareness weekend promotion. The light blue is very close to the color of uniforms -- called periwinkle -- the Angels briefly wore when they were owned by the Disney Co.