LHP Hector Santiago gave up three runs on five hits and three walks in five innings, getting the victory in a 7-4 decision over the Rangers on Wednesday. Santiago lasted just the five innings because it took him 100 pitches to get there. The pivotal inning was the second inning, when he made 29 pitches. He walked the bases loaded but managed to escape when LF Todd Cunningham made a running catch at the wall. Santiago blamed his temporary loss of control on "trying to place the ball," so he figured out a solution. "I just went inside and took two baseballs and threw them as hard as I could against the wall, and told myself, 'That's your mentality,'" he said. "Just try to pound the zone."

LHP Hector Santiago will start Wednesday against the Rangers. Santiago has not allowed an earned run over his last 22 innings pitched and has won four decisions in a row. He threw seven scoreless innings in his last start coming out of the All-Star break. Santiago is 6-4 with a 3.96 ERA in 19 career games (16 starts) vs. Texas.

LHP Hector Santiago threw seven scoreless innings, allowing five hits and no walks to get the victory in the Angels' 7-0 win over the White Sox Friday. Santiago has not allowed an earned run in 22 consecutive innings, and has a 15-inning scoreless streak. He said he knew he was on his game when he faced the first batter of the game in White Sox SS Tim Anderson. "When I realized I was in a zone was that third pitch of the game," Santiago said. "An 0-2 fastball in, located well ... going 0-2 the first part of the game is a big deal for me. The first hitter for me is always the hardest one, trying to figure out the mound, trying to figure out where my arm slot's gonna be, the umpire's zone. So getting the first out of the game, it was like, OK, here we go."

WASHINGTON -- Stephen Strasburg remained unbeaten and drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning as the Washington Nationals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-1 on Friday night.Strasburg (13-0), who gave one run and three hits with six strikeouts in eight innings, plated the winning run in the four-run seventh.Pirates starter Francisco Liriano gave up five hits and three earned run in six innings.Tigers 5, Royals 4DETROIT -- Justin Verlander tied his season high with 10 strikeouts and Victor Martinez knocked in the go-ahead runs with a rare infield hit.Verlander reached the 10-strikeout mark for the fourth time this season while holding the Royals to two runs -- one earned -- and four hits in seven innings. Francisco Rodriguez notched his 25th save.Ian Kinsler and Tyler Collins, who was recalled from Triple-A Toledo earlier in the day, had solo home runs for the Tigers. Mets 5, Phillies 3PHILADELPHIA - Neil Walker hit a three-run homer and Juan Lagares added a solo shot as New York opened... [More]

LHP Hector Santiago dominated the Rays on Thursday, holding them to three hits in seven shutout innings. His nine strikeouts were one off a season high and he's held opponents to one earned run or less in four of his last five starts.

LHP Hector Santiago, riding a wave of his teammates' offense, worked six innings and didn't allow an earned run to raise his record to 5-4 with the rocking chair win. Santiago, who raised his record to 5-4 with six solid innings, was wearing a new pair of cleats, painted by a friend, one shoe sporting the Angels' infamous Rally Monkey. The pitcher claimed that was the reason for the big win. "I (said) to (Daniel) Nava, 'Look at these, bro,"' Santiago said. "My friend drove them up from New Jersey to the hotel."

LHP Hector Santiago, who has one win in his last eight starts but has pitched well in two of his last three, faces the Red Sox on Saturday night. After yielding just five hits and two runs in 12 1/3 innings in his previous two starts, Santiago was reached for six runs on seven hits -- two homers -- by the A's in a no-decision. He is 1-3 with a 3.56 ERA lifetime against Boston. No current Red Sox hitter has a home run against Santiago.

LHP Hector Santiago tied a season high by throwing 116 pitches in six innings to relieve a beleaguered bullpen Sunday. The left-hander collected six strikeouts but allowed six runs, seven hits and four walks. Santiago's earned-run average swelled to 5.27.

LHP Hector Santiago seeks his third consecutive quality start Sunday against the Oakland Athletics. In his two previous appearances, Santiago permitted just two earned runs, four walks and five hits in 12 1/3 innings while striking out nine. Before his current streak, Santiago last recorded a quality start on May 15.

LHP Hector Santiago took a no-decision despite allowing just one run in 6 1/3 innings on Tuesday, his lone blemish coming when Astros SS Carlos Correa belted a leadoff homer in the fifth inning. It marked the fifth time in 15 starts this season that Santiago pitched into the seventh inning and also his sixth quality start.

LHP Hector Santiago went six innings Wednesday against the Twins, giving up one run on two hits and two walks while making 99 pitches. It was his first win since May 15, going 0-2 with three no-decisions in his previous five starts. It was also a big performance for Santiago, who failed to last three innings in three of those five starts. "My previous five starts I was inconsistent in the zone," Santiago said. "I would walk guys, put myself in bad counts, 2-0, 3-1 and I kept having to battle back. Guys were comfortable up there. Tonight I felt I had the pressure on them. I was throwing strike-one, strike-two and putting pressure on them to hit pitches in the zone and not chase anything. Tonight, they were chasing a bunch of stuff off the plate, they had a lot of soft contact."

LHP Hector Santiago (3-4, 5.64 ERA) will start Wednesday against the Twins. Santiago has struggled as of late, failing to get out of the third inning in three of his last five starts. He is coming off his worst start, when he gave up six runs (five earned) in 1 1/3 innings against Cleveland. Santiago is 2-2 with a 4.76 ERA in nine career games (five starts) versus Minnesota.

LHP Hector Santiago gave up six runs (five earned) on seven hits and one walk in 1 1/3 innings of a 6-2 loss to the Indians Friday. The Indians had one runner on base and two outs in the first inning when they strung together three consecutive hits followed by an error by 3B Yunel Escobar to score four runs. Santiago didn't make it out of the second inning, giving up two more runs while getting just one out. He has failed to last more than four innings in four of his last five starts. "He's pitched some really good games this year for us," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "It seems like it's been one extreme or the other. We can absorb a tough start when you only get into the fifth inning or the sixth inning, but too many times with Hector we're looking at the second inning and having to get somebody up and try to get out of an inning. He's trying hard, it's just a tough stretch for him."

LHP Hector Santiago makes his 13th start of the season when the Angels open a three-game series with the Cleveland Indians on Friday. Santiago did not get a decision Sunday in Pittsburgh when he allowed three runs and four hits in four innings. Since pitching eight innings at Seattle May 16, Santiago has a 10.34 ERA in his last four starts.

LHP Hector Santiago started and did not get a decision, thanks to Pujols' homer. He allowed three runs on four hits in four innings with four walks and four strikeouts.

LHP Hector Santiago gave up four runs on five hits and two walks in 6 2/3 innings Tuesday against the Tigers, getting a no-decision. Three of the five hits allowed were home runs -- Miguel Cabrera, Justin Upton and J.D. Martinez. He struck out nine. "I'll tell you one thing about Hector, his stuff was there," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "He was throwing very well. They got two home runs early but he settled in and went through a tough lineup and really pitched well until (J.D.) Martinez hit the home run in the sixth."

LHP Hector Santiago pitched a season-high eight innings in his previous start, but lasted only 2 2/3 innings Friday against the Orioles after begin ejected by home plate umpire John Tumpane. Santiago had just given up a two-out, two-run home run to Orioles DH Mark Trumbo in the third inning and fell behind in the count to C Matt Wieters 2-and-0. The next pitch was a borderline pitch that Tumpane called ball-three. Santiago thought the pitch caught the inside part of the plate and yelled at Tumpane, who then ejected Santiago. In his short outing, Santiago gave up four runs and three hits, all three of the hits leaving the park. "Hector was upset at the pitch, the umpire comes out from behind the plate, Hector's on the mound, tells his catcher let's go, and he's thrown out of the game," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. ""He didn't even know what Hector said, and just gave really a shallow explanation for throwing a starting pitcher out. And it's wrong, it's wrong. You don't throw a starting... [More]

LHP Hector Santiago will start Friday's game against the Orioles. Santiago is coming off his best start of the season Sunday, when he shut out the Mariners for eight innings on two hits. He is 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA in six career games (three starts) vs. Baltimore.

LHP Hector Santiago pitched five innings of no-hit ball Sunday before giving up a leadoff bunt single by Seattle's Shawn O'Malley in the sixth. Santiago, who made an incredible field-and-throw in the second inning, had a chance to field the O'Malley bunt but couldn't get his glove on it cleanly. "I should have made the play," said Santiago, whose only other hit allowed in eight innings was a seventh-inning single to former teammate Chris Iannetta. "It should have been an out." Santiago tossed eight shutout innings of two-hit ball to earn the win. After the game, Santiago joked about O'Malley's bunt single in the sixth inning of a no-hitter. "After the inning, I was like: 'Dammit, O'Malley, you're my ex-teammate. Swing the bat.'"

LHP Hector Santiago got off to a good start this season but has struggled over his past three outings. Santiago has a 6.46 ERA since he started 2-0 with a 2.70 ERA in his first four starts. On Sunday, he is scheduled to start against a Seattle team that he already beat 4-2 on April 23. Santiago allowed two runs and four hits in six innings, striking out seven, in that game.