Rivera’s ninth-inning single helps Angels beat Tigers 2-1

Rivera’s ninth-inning single lifts Angels

DETROIT — Juan Rivera’s ninth-inning single broke a scoreless tie, saving a stellar outing for Ervin Santana and sending the Los Angeles Angels to a 2-1 victory over the slumping Detroit Tigers on Friday night.

Torii Hunter and Kendry Morales started the ninth with singles off Fernando Rodney (0-1), and Rivera poked a single to right through the drawn-in infield for the game’s first run. After Erick Aybar’s sacrifice bunt, Howie Kendrick’s groundout made it 2-0.

Magglio Ordonez hit an RBI single in the ninth, but Angels closer Brian Fuentes replaced Santana and got Curtis Granderson to hit a foul pop behind third that Chone Figgins caught before tumbling into the stands. It was Fuentes’ 15th save in 18 tries.

Santana (1-2) picked up his first win since Sept. 22, after allowing 15 runs in his previous two outings. He improved to 4-0 against Detroit since the start of 2008 by allowing six hits and two walks, striking out seven.

Justin Verlander nearly matched him, throwing eight shutout innings one day after becoming the AL Pitcher of the Month for May. Verlander is 6-0 with a 1.12 ERA in his last eight starts.

Santana and Verlander dominated the early innings, with the teams combining for just three singles in the first four innings.

Detroit had the first good scoring chance in the fifth, when Ordonez led off with a double and took third on Granderson’s fly ball. Brandon Inge walked, but Jeff Larish grounded into an inning-ending double play.

The Angels got two runners in the second when Bobby Abreu walked and Vladimir Guerrero’s dribbler toward third base stopped on the foul line, but Abreu was picked off second by Verlander before Hunter’s single, and Verlander escaped the inning by striking out Morales.

Detroit missed another chance in their half of the sixth when Gerald Laird was thrown out at the plate trying to score on Anderson’s grounder to first.

In the eighth, Kendrick led off with an infield single and took second when Inge’s throw sailed past Larish at first for an error. Figgins moved Kendrick to third with a sacrifice bunt, Verlander intentionally walked Abreu, and the unusual move paid off when Guerrero hit into an inning-ending double play.