Angels’ Hector Santiago tries to change luck and it works in victory over Rangers

Hector Santiago is not superstitious about being superstitious. He has shaved his head several times, and even went with a reverse mohawk earlier this season, in an effort to change his luck, has showered in full uniform hoping to wash away bad outings is never shy about discussing his quirks.

So it was hardly surprising when Santiago took the mound Sunday wearing high red stirrups and custom-made, LeBron James high-top spikes that he said “weigh like 46 pounds.” The Angels left-hander was 0-5 with a 6.46 earned-run average in his eight starts since July 25.

“I had to change it up, do something different,” Santiago said. “I looked at it like, ‘What else could go bad?’ The last month was probably the worst of my career.”

Santiago’s luck definitely changed. Despite matching a career high with six walks, Santiago managed to throw six innings in which he gave up one hit, leading the Angels to a 7-0 victory over the Texas Rangers that left Manager Mike Scioscia shaking his head in amazement.

“Hector was living on the edge, no doubt,” Scioscia said after the Angels won two of three games from the Rangers to pull to within 2 1/2 games of Texas for the second American League wild-card spot.

“Six walks in six innings, behind in so many counts to a team that can drive the ball. … I guess when Hector needed to make a pitch, he did. He found it at the right times to get out of some trouble.”

Santiago seems to thrive in traffic — he has held opponents to a .182 average (21 for 115) with runners in scoring position — and trouble was a constant companion Sunday.

He walked two batters the first inning but fielded Adrian Beltre’s grounder and threw to second base to start an inning-ending double play. He walked Mike Napoli to open the second inning and gave up a one-out double to Rougned Odor, putting runners on second base and third base.

But Santiago snagged Chris Gimenez’s low line drive and fired to second base to double off Odor. The Rangers didn’t threaten the rest of the way, in part because left fielder David Murphy ran down two long fly balls at the wall in the third and fourth innings.

“For some reason, I pitch better with guys on base, I bear down better,” Santiago said. “Six walks is a record for me, but I tried not to worry about it. I treated it like it was a base hit. Now, get a double play. I got two today, which was huge.”

An early cushion gave Santiago some margin for error. Mike Trout ended the longest homerless streak of his career with a shot to right field in the first inning, his 34th home run this season and first since Aug. 7, a span of 27 games and 96 at-bats.

The Angels scored three runs in the second inning, one in the fourth and two in the sixth, with the bottom of the order — David Freese, Carlos Perez and Taylor Featherston — doing most of the damage, combining for eight hits in 11 at-bats, five runs and two runs batted in.

Freese had two doubles, a single and scored twice, Perez had two singles, a walk and three runs, and the .155-hitting Featherston had two singles, a double and a run batted in, his first career multi-hit game.

The Angels were five for 10 with runners in scoring position and showed the kind of depth they’ve often lacked during a season in which they’ve relied heavily on Trout, Albert Pujols and Kole Calhoun.

“Our offense is going to be sum of all the parts; it’s not going to be one guy getting hot and carrying us,” Scioscia said. “It’s going to be one through nine with the ability to move runners, score some runs with outs, drive the ball and hit with runners in scoring position. That’s what it’s gonna take.”

Up next

Right-hander Nick Tropeano (1-2, 5.51 ERA) will oppose Dodgers right-hander Zack Greinke (15-3, 1.59 ERA) on Monday at 6 p.m. at Angel Stadium. TV: FS West, SportsNet LA; Radio: 830, 1330, 570, 1020.