Santana defeats Mariners despite wild streak
SEATTLE – Torii Hunter and Howie Kendrick homered for the Los Angeles Angels to help a wild Ervin Santana overcome seven walks Thursday night in a 4-3 victory over the Seattle Mariners.
Hunter hit a three-run shot in the first inning and the Angels remained 3 1/2 games behind A.L. West leader Texas, which beat Tampa Bay 7-2.
Santana (10-9), given an early lead, was not nearly as sharp he had been lately.
He entered 6-1 with a 2.06 ERA and three complete games in his previous nine starts, and 4-0 with a 1.68 ERA in his last four road starts.
Yet he walked a season-high seven batters against Seattle, with two scoring. Santana went 6 2/3 innings, while allowing four hits and three runs. He struck out five.
Jordan Walden worked the ninth for his 27th save in 36 opportunities. In six appearances against Seattle this season, Walden has four saves and two wins.
Santana had a control blip in the third and the Mariners took advantage. He walked the first two batters, Brendan Ryan and Trayvon Robinson. Ichiro Suzuki followed with a double, scoring Ryan.
With one out, Dustin Ackley drilled a single up the middle, scoring Robinson and Ichiro to cut it to 4-3. But the Angels held on to earn a four-game split.
The Angels did their damage early, putting immediate pressure on Charlie Furbush (3-7) in the first inning.
Maicer Izturis was hit in the right thigh by a pitch to open the game. He played two more innings but was replaced in the third by Andrew Romine. Izturis has a bruise.
Peter Bourjos walked and, with one out, Hunter launched a 1-2 pitch through the gusty wind and into the left-field bullpen for his 19th home run.
Kendrick had a solo shot in the third, his 15th.
Furbush went six innings, his second-longest stint in eight starts. He gave up four runs and four hits, walked three and struck out five.
Notes
Matt Tuiasosopo, a third-round draft pick in 2004, was released by the Mariners.
They made the move to clear space on the 40-man roster, necessitated by the addition of September call-up Cesar Jimenez, a left-handed reliever.
Angels 4, Mariners 3
| Los Angeles | AB | R | H | BI | BB | SO | Avg. |
| M.Izturis ss | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .279 |
| Romine ss | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .091 |
| Bourjos cf | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .278 |
| H.Kendrick 2b | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .297 |
| Tor.Hunter dh | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | .260 |
| Trumbo 1b | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .256 |
| V.Wells lf | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .218 |
| Callaspo 3b | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .279 |
| Trout rf | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .239 |
| Bo.Wilson c | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .200 |
| B.Abreu ph | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .252 |
| Mathis c | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .178 |
| Totals | 30 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 8 |
| Seattle | AB | R | H | BI | BB | SO | Avg. |
| I.Suzuki rf | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .274 |
| F.Gutierrez cf | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .227 |
| Ackley 2b | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | .296 |
| Carp 1b | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .302 |
| Olivo c | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .224 |
| Seager 3b | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .288 |
| C.Wells lf | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .242 |
| Ryan ss | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .251 |
| Robinson dh | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | .250 |
| Totals | 28 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Los Angeles | 301 | 000 | 000—4 | 6 | 0 |
| Seattle | 003 | 000 | 000—3 | 4 | 0 |
LOB—Los Angeles 5, Seattle 6. 2B—Bourjos (24), I.Suzuki (19). HR—Tor.Hunter (19), H.Kendrick (15). RBIs—H.Kendrick (49), Tor.Hunter 3 (71), I.Suzuki (35), Ackley 2 (32). SB—F.Gutierrez (13). CS—Tor.Hunter (7), Ryan (3). S—H.Kendrick. RLSP—Los Angeles 1, Seattle 3. GIDP—Trumbo, Carp, C.Wells. DP—Los Angeles 2, Seattle 1.
| Los Angeles | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
| Santana W,11-9 | 62/3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 3.27 |
| Cassevah H,3 | 1/3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3.18 |
| S.Downs H,21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1.44 |
| Walden S,27-36 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2.65 |
| Seattle | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
| Furbush L,3-7 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4.97 |
| J.Wright | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3.54 |
IR-S—Cassevah 1-0. HBP—Trout, M.Izturis. T—2:42. A—19,453 (47,878).