The Angels were swept at home for the first time this season by the Rays, who shutout the Angels 2-0 on Saturday and an 8-5 game on Sunday.
Joe Saunders should have had his seventh win of the season, giving up just one run on four hits through six innings on Saturday. He saw no run support, though, to get dealt his first loss of the season. The Angels were held to three hits by Rays starter Scott Kazmir, a single by Vlad and doubles by Erick Aybar and Gary Matthews, Jr.
The only mistake made by Saunders was in the first when he allowed one run to score after loading the bases. His next five innings were near perfect, but he was pulled after six while trailing 1-0. Darren Oliver threw 1 2/3 and gave up a run in the eighth.
The offense heated up a little bit on Sunday, but the Angels five runs wasn’t enough to match the Ray’s eight. Sunday’s loss is the Angels’ fourth straight, three by the Rays, who swept the series.
The Rays scored three in the first but the Angels answered back in the third with three runs of their own, all on RBI singles by Vlad, Garrett Anderson, and Torii Hunter. Anderson and Hunter each had 2 RBI, and Vlad went 2 for 4 with an RBI. The Angels had a 5-4 lead going into the sixth, but the Rays rallied for four runs to make it eight for the win.
Ervin Santana missed out on his potential seventh win for most in the AL, though he wasn’t tagged for the loss and remains unbeaten. He allowed five runs on a season-high nine hits through 5 2/3 innings, though he did have seven strikeouts. Santana left in the sixth with a 5-4 lead, but Justin Speier came in to give up four runs that inning to hand Santana the no-decision. Speier came in with two outs and one on, but gave up a double and three-run shot to Carl Crawford to earn the blown save and loss. Speier remains winless at 0-3 with a ballooned 6.00 ERA.
The Angels added to their losing woes after Saturday’s game, placing Chone Figgins on the 15-day DL for his strained hamstring.
