Not this time against Santana, as Orioles lose series opener

The last time the Orioles faced Angels starter Ervin Santana before tonight, they got to him for 12 hits and nine runs over 3 2/3 innings. That was last August. He did a little better this time. He held the Orioles scoreless into the last of the eighth and pitched Los Angeles to a 6-1 win in the series opener in front of 24,823 at Camden Yards. Santana (5-8) gave up just one run and three hits over 7 2/3, throwing 105 pitches. The Orioles finally scored on a J.J. Hardy RBI single, avoiding a second straight shutout and snapping a 16-inning scoreless streak. Vernon Wells hit a grand slam in the top of ninth off Kevin Gregg to turn a one-run lead into a 6-1 game. Alfredo Simon had another good outing for the Orioles and shutout the Angels on four hits through six innings before Los Angeles scored twice in the seventh to break the 0-0 tie on doubles by Mike Trout, Maicer Izturis and Torii Hunter. The Angels had gone scoreless in 32 consecutive innings against O's pitching until that inning. That dated back to an Orioles series sweep last Aug. 27-29 on the west coast by scores of 3-1, 5-0 and 1-0. The Orioles were 6-0 versus the Angels in 2010, sweeping the series for the first time in franchise history. Los Angeles is now 23-10 since June 13 and that is the best record in the majors in that time. The Orioles fall to 3-5 on this homestand, 25-27 on the year at home and 39-57 overall. They host Los Angeles Saturday night in Game Two of this three-game series.