Angels' Santiago mesmerizes Mariners to complete series sweep

[May 16, 2016]  SEATTLE -- The Los Angeles Angels arrived at Safeco Field on Friday afternoon in a world of hurt, both physically and mentally, as they dragged a six-game losing streak into the three-game series with the Seattle Mariners.

Angels starting pitcher Hector Santiago (53) fields a ground ball during the sixth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports

Three days later, they walked out with less of a limp.

"Obviously, we're happier," left fielder Daniel Nava said after the Angels beat Seattle 3-0 on Sunday afternoon to finish off the three-game sweep.

Hector Santiago tossed eight scoreless innings as the Angels (16-21) found a new lease on life after opening the month with two wins over their first 10 games of May.

"That's huge," Santiago said of the Angels' first sweep since April. "We just came from six straight losses. We needed just one win and ended up taking three, which gets us going."

Santiago (3-2) allowed two hits, the first one coming on a bunt single in the sixth, before fill-in closer Joe Smith came on in the ninth to retire the side for his fourth save of the season.

Santiago threw five innings of no-hit ball before Seattle center fielder Shawn O'Malley, called up earlier in the day from Triple-A, got the Mariners' first hit with a leadoff bunt in the sixth.

"After the inning, I was like, 'Damnit, O'Malley, you're my ex-teammate. Swing the bat,'" Santiago joked after failing to corral the ball as O'Malley reached base to break up his no-hitter. "I should have made the play (on the bunt). It should have been an out."

The Angels' Kole Calhoun broke a scoreless tie with a fifth-inning RBI single, then Nava gave Los Angeles some breathing room with a two-run single in the eighth.

The Angels scored the first run of the game on Calhoun's two-out, RBI single in the top of the fifth. Calhoun singled up the middle, allowing baserunner Johnny Giavotella to score from second for a 1-0 lead.

Seattle starter Felix Hernandez got off to a rough start while allowing four baserunners over the first two innings, but he settled in and struck out eight batters over the next three innings.

Hernandez (3-3) made it through 7 1/3 innings, allowing three runs off seven hits while striking out nine. Hernandez was more dominant than his statistics showed, especially in the middle innings, but he gave up a walk and a Mike Trout single before leaving in the eighth and both players came around to score on Nava's single off reliever Nick Vincent.

"We needed a good outing from (Hernandez) today. We got it," Seattle manager Scott Servais said. "We just didn't give him any offense today."

Seattle had only one runner in scoring position, and that came after a two-out walk followed by a hit by pitch in the fourth.

"It was a well-pitched game on both sides," Servais said. "Santiago was very good. He kept us off balance."

Santiago allowed just five baserunners -- two hits, a walk and two hit batsmen -- while striking out five over his eight innings. Sunday marked his first win since April 23, when he beat the Mariners with a six-inning, two-run performance at home.

"I had everything working," Santiago said. "A lot of strikes. A couple hit-by-pitches, a couple walks, but other than that I was pretty much in the zone."

Santiago threw 115 pitches and didn't put up much of a fight to go out for the ninth.

"I kind of gave (manager Mike Scioscia) a little look," Santiago said with a grin. "I wanted to go out for ninth. But if you fight with him, you're not going to win. So I didn't say anything. He said I was done, and I just gave him a face. I would love to go out for the ninth, but ..."

Smith struck out two of the three batters he faced in the bottom of the ninth to earn his second consecutive save.

The Mariners (21-16) were swept for the first time since their opening home series of the season from April 8-10. Seattle lost a series for the first time since April 11-13, when Texas took two out of three from the Mariners.

Los Angeles clawed back to within six games of division-leading Texas, while the Mariners fell out of first place for the first time since May 2.

Seattle second baseman Robinson Cano saw his 13-game hitting streak come to an end with an 0-for-3 performance against the Angels.

NOTES: Seattle recalled UT Shawn O'Malley from Triple-A Tacoma on Sunday, on the heels of the Mariners optioning INF Luis Sardinas to Tacoma late Saturday night. O'Malley hit .262 in 24 games with the Mariners last season. He was in the starting lineup and playing center field on Sunday. ... The Angels are the first team to beat Seattle in a series since the Mariners dropped two of three to Texas from April 11-13. Seattle had won eight series and earned one series split before Los Angeles clinched the weekend series with back-to-back wins Friday and Saturday nights. ... The Mariners get their second off day since Thursday on Monday before beginning a three-game series at Baltimore. The Angels head back to Los Angeles, where they'll face the Dodgers in four games at two different stadiums, beginning with Monday night's matchup at Dodger Stadium.

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