Santiago staying strong, pitches Angels past Rays

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. >> Hector Santiago has slipped back into a consistent groove.

Santiago, whose Angels career has been marked by streaks in both directions, is now on a run of exceptional work.

Santiago blanked the Tampa Bay Rays for seven iings in the Angels’ 5-1 victory on Thursday afteoon, their third straight win.

In his last five starts, Santiago has 2.27 ERA. He hasn’t allowed an eaed run in either of his last two outings.

The Angels needed a start like that to help give their bullpen a rest. The Angels hadn’t had a starter finish seven iings since June 22.

At the plate, the Angels didn’t do much with Blake Snell, a touted rookie.

They were scoreless until the sixth, when they parlayed two singles, a walk and a strange play at second into two runs.

With ruers at the coers and one out, C.J. Cron hit a bouncer up the middle. Second baseman Logan Forsythe stepped on the bag before Albert Pujols arrived. Pujols, however, went in standing and appeared to alter Forsythe’s throw to first, which was wild. The Rays couldn’t complete the double play and a run scored.

Rays manager Kevin Cash challenged that Pujols had violated the new slide rule, but umpires upheld the call on the field that it was a legal play.

The Angels padded the lead in the eighth, including Mike Trout’s first steal of home. With Trout at third and Pujols at first, Pujols took off. Rays catcher Hank Conger threw to second, but Pujols had stopped short so he couldn’t be tagged, and Trout beat the retu throw home.

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