Santana moves to 6-0 with 4-hitter as Angels beat Royals 4-0

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Ervin Santana throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Monday, May 5, 2008, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Ervin Santana extended his outstanding start by pitching a four-hitter, and Garret Anderson and Brandon Wood hit consecutive homers in a four-run ninth inning to lead the Los Angeles Angels past the Kansas City Royals 4-0 on Monday night.

Santana joined teammate Joe Saunders at 6-0, becoming the third and fourth Angels pitchers to open a season 6-0 or better. Saunders and Santana are just the eighth pair of teammates to start a season 6-0 since 1920.

Santana gave up just four hits, striking out nine without a walk. It was his second career complete game, his first since hurling a five-hit shutout against the White Sox on May 23, 2005, for his first major league win.

Erick Aybar tripled into the right-center field gap leading off the ninth off Ramon Ramirez (0-1). With one out, left-hander Jimmy Gobble came in to face lefty Casey Kotchman, who hit the first pitch into center for a run-scoring single.

With two out, Anderson homered off Joel Peralta and then Wood followed with his home run.

Santana was masterful throughout on a cool, windless night. But the right-hander, only 7-14 last year, found himself matched up against a Kansas City starter who was equally unhittable.

The Royals' Brett Tomko went seven shutout innings in his best outing of the year by far. The left-hander, who entered the game 1-3 with a 6.26 ERA, allowed only two hits and two walks and struck out seven before giving way to Ramirez starting the eighth. Tomko allowed only one runner as far as second and struck out the side in the third inning on just 13 pitches.

Aybar singled in the first off Tomko, but was cut down trying for second. Vladimir Guerrero singled with one out in the fourth but got no farther.

Tomko lowered his ERA to 4.93.

Ramirez gave up a two-out single to Jeff Mathis in the eighth. But then Gary Matthews Jr. struck out for the third time.

Both starters benefited from some outstanding defense. The Angels' Torii Hunter made a diving catch of John Buck's sinking liner for the third out in the fifth and second baseman Mark Grudzielanek turned in a pair of fielding gems behind Tomko.

Saunders and Santana were already just the second pair of teammates who went 5-0 or better in the month of April, joining Aaron Sele and Rick Helling of the 1998 Texas Rangers.