Ervin Santana won for the first time in 2011 with a 8-5 Angels win in Tampa. Santana (1-3, 4.89 ERA) lasted 6 innings, giving up 4 hits and ! earned run. He finished the night with 5 strikeouts and 2 walks.
Mark Trumbo, getting his first start in 4 days, got the scoring started for the Angels (15-11) in the second inning when he singled home Alberto Callaspo. With the Angels down by 2 runs, Trumbo tied the game with a 2-run home run in the fourth. Trumbo leads the Angels with 15 RBI on the season.
The Angel hitters ganged up on the Rays' pitching staff by pounding out 17 hits against 6 different Tampa pitchers. Rays' starter David Price (3-3, 3.95 ERA) gave up a career high 12 hits in 4.1 innings and a season high 5 earned runs. Each Angel batter, except Jeff Mathis, ended the night with at least one hit. Bobby Abreu, Howie Kendrick, and Alberto Callaspo each collected 3 hits in four at-bats. With his 1 for 5 night, Peter Bourjos extended his hit streak to eleven games.
Scott Downs made his first appearance since returning from the disabled list pitching a scoreless 7th. He walked the first batter he faced, but then ended the inning with a strikeout and two groundballs. Jordan Walden pitched scoreless ninth to record his 4th save, lowering his ERA to 0.73.
The Angels and Rays will play game two of their 3-game series Saturday at 10am (Pacific). Joel Pineiro, making his first start of the 2011 after being activated off of the DL for a sore shoulder, will face James Shields (2-1, 2.35 ERA).