KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- After a miserable Thursday when Greg Holland failed to retire any of the six batters he faced and four scored, the Kansas City Royals closer returned to the scene of the crime Friday night.

The results were completely different as Holland struck out three and allowed one single to earn his 26th save as the Royals beat the Los Angeles Angels 4-1.

"As a competitor when you get beat pretty bad, you want to get back out there as quickly as you can," Holland said.

After throwing 29 pitches in the Thursday disaster, manager Ned Yost did not hesitate to use his closer 24 hours later.

"I knew when we left here yesterday he wanted to pitch," Yost said. "Then he told Dave (Eiland, pitching coach) in batting practice, he said, 'I'm great. I want back in there if it's a save.'"

Eric Hosmer hit a two-run homer and Danny Duffy pitched six solid innings in the victory.

After blowing late leads the previous two games, the Royals' bullpen protected this one.

"Nothing really is going to bring us down to the point that we can't pick ourselves back up and dust ourselves off again," Duffy said. "Greg went out and did his thing tonight. We're a very confident group. We just erase and re-record."

Angels right-hander Jered Weaver (4-9) had limited the Royals to one infield single the first five innings before giving up three runs, one unearned after two errors, and three hits in the sixth. That also snapped Weaver's 21 1/3 scoreless innings streak at Kauffman Stadium.

Hosmer, who tops the American League after the All-Star break with a .390 average, homered with center fielder Lorenzo Cain aboard. First baseman Hosmer took a 2-0 Weaver curveball out to right for his 14th home run after hitting only nine last season.

"Just one bad pitch," Weaver said. "I'm trying to drop something in there to get back in the count and he was kinda of waiting for it and it's a home run."

Right fielder Ben Zobrist led off the inning with a double to right and scored when first baseman Albert Pujols failed to field Cain's bouncer. Cain advanced to second on Weaver's errant pickoff throw, but it became academic after Hosmer's blast.

Duffy (6-5), who lasted just 3 1/3 innings in his previous start, gave up a run in the first, but nothing after that before being pulled after 93 pitches. He allowed five hits, walked none, struck out two and hit three batters, which ties a franchise record.

Ryan Madson replaced Duffy in the seventh and the Angels promptly loaded the bases on a double and two walks. Madson got out of the jam by inducing Pujols to ground out to shortstop Alcides Escobar on a 98-mile per hour fastball.

"I'm getting my pitch to hit and I'm missing my pitch," Pujols said. "There's nothing I can do, but keep fighting, keep battling. It is frustrating, but this game gives and takes away, right now it's taking away."

"I know I can hit in those situations. You know that I'm a lifetime .340, .350 hitter in those situations for a reason. It is what it is. It sucks. But I want that situation to come more often and hopefully sooner or later I can do my job."

The Royals padded their lead with a run in the eighth with catcher Drew Butera's two-out single scoring pinch runner Paulo Orlando.

Angels left fielder Shane Victorino led off the game with a triple into the left-field corner that caromed past Ben Zobrist for a triple on Duffy's fourth pitch. Center fielder Mike Trout's one-out double down the right-field line scored Victorino.

The Angels loaded the bases in the second, but came away empty. After Duffy retired the first two batters, third baseman Conor Gillaspie singled and shortstop Taylor Featherston and Victorino were hit by pitches. Duffy retired right fielder Kole Calhoun on a fly ball to center to get out of his mess.

The Royals had a call overturned in the third inning when umpire Quinn Colcott called Escobar out stealing second. Yost challenged and after a 121-second delay the call was reversed. That's as far as Escobar went as Weaver retired Zobrist on a fly ball.

Yost also won another challenge in the sixth inning with shortstop Taylor Featherston out on the base paths after Wolcott initially called him safe.

NOTES: SS Erick Aybar was held out of the Angels lineup for the second straight game with a bad back. ... C Salvador Perez missed his third straight Royals game with a sore left wrist. ... The Royals surpassed the two million mark in attendance Friday, the first time since 1991 they topped that figure. ... The Royals lost Thursday for the first time in 126 games when they had a lead entering the ninth. ... RHP Johnny Cueto, who threw a complete-game shutout in his home debut for the Royals, and Angels RHP Matt Shoemaker are the Saturday probables. ... Royals 1B coach Rusty Kuntz was sick and replaced by Pedro Grifol.