Santana helps Angels edge Mariners
Tuesday, September 23, 2008 11:04 AM PDT
SEATTLE (AP) — Ervin Santana and Francisco Rodriguez combined for a five-hitter, Vladimir Guerrero homered and the Los Angeles Angels beat the skidding Seattle Mariners 2-1 Monday night to set a franchise record for road wins.
Seattle has lost 12 straight games and is two away from tying the franchise record set in 1992.
Santana (16-6) allowed one run and five hits to match his career high for victories. He struck out nine, walked none and improved to 3-0 with a 2.19 ERA against Seattle this season.
Rodriguez got three outs to extend his major league record for saves to 61 and earn his 10th against the Mariners this year.
Los Angeles, which wrapped the AL West title on Sept. 10, is still trying to earn home-field advantage throughout to the playoffs. The Angels (97-59) hold the edge over Tampa Bay (93-62), which beat Baltimore 4-2 on Monday night.
The Angels also earned their 48th road win, giving them one more than the previous mark set in 2004. Their 97 victories overall are two short of the club record set by the 2002 team that won the World Series.
The Angels went in front 2-1 in the seventh, taking advantage of an error by left fielder Raul Ibanez. Jeff Mathis reached on a one-out single and Reggie Willits followed with a drive into left-center that bounced off Ibanez’s glove.
Mathis went to third on Willits’ single and scored on Ibanez’s miscue.
Guerrero, who homered in the fourth, and Willits finished with three hits apiece.
The Mariners loaded the bases with no outs in the third, and Ibanez’s hard grounder to first gave them a 1-0 lead.
Ryan Rowland-Smith (4-3) allowed two runs, one earned, and eight hits in seven innings for Seattle.
