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Santana, Angels blank A's

May 16, 2012 - 3:06 AM Anaheim, CA (Sports Network) - Ervin Santana tossed 7 2/3 scoreless innings and the Los Angeles Angels blanked the Oakland Athletics, 4-0, to earn a split of a short two-game series at Angel Stadium.

Santana (2-6) scattered four hits and walked three while striking out nine. Scott Downs got the final out in the eighth and the first two hitters in the ninth before Ernesto Frieri struck out Kurt Suzuki to end the game.

"I felt great today, I had good command. It is much easier when you have run support," said Santana. "My first inning was tough and then I felt better after that. I threw strikes and tried to stay ahead of the hitters."

Mike Trout went 3-for-4 with a solo homer and three runs scored, Albert Pujols had three hits for the first time since April 19th and added two RBI and Alberto Callaspo had an RBI double among his two hits for the Angels, who had lost three of their last four games.

Cliff Pennington and Kila Ka'aihue each ripped doubles for the A's, who have dropped two of their last three games.

Bartolo Colon (3-4) allowed four runs on 12 hits without walking a batter and fanning three in defeat.

Los Angeles opened the scoring in the third inning with a two-out rally. Trout got things started with a single back through the box and Callaspo followed by slicing a double down the right field line that brought home Trout for the first run of the inning. Pujols then ripped one to short that couldn't be handled by Pennington, and Callaspo scored to make it 2-0.

The Angels tacked on a run in the fifth. Trout slapped a one-out single into left, stole second, and moved to third on a throwing error by Suzuki before crossing home on an infield single by Pujols.

Oakland put together a threat in the sixth when Jemile Weeks looped a base hit to right with one out and stole second before Pennington walked to put runners on first and second with two outs. Santana then walked Josh Reddick to load the bases, but he recovered to strike out Seth Smith and keep the A's off the board.

"Ervin pitched well today," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "After the third inning, because of the shadows, we couldn't see the spin on the ball. He kept us off balance."

Los Angeles added another insurance run in the seventh when Trout led off the inning by turning on a middle-in fastball from Colon and sending it over the wall in right-center field.

Game Notes

The A's fell to 8-5 in the month of May and 9-13 in games decided by more than two runs this season...Los Angeles improved to 15-4 when scoring four-or-more runs...Santana improved to 14-4 in his career against Oakland, while Colon fell to 9-6 in his career against the Angels...Oakland went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and stranded eight, while Los Angeles was 3-for-4 with men in scoring position and left seven.