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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Its going to take a lot more than winning a series from the struggling Tampa Bay Rays for the last-place Los Angeles Angels to turn their season around.Winning three straight for the first time in nearly three months is encouraging, though, especially considering the type of pitching performance the team got from Hector Santiago in Thursdays 5-1 victory.Santiago limited the sputtering Rays to three singles over seven scoreless innings, C.J. Cron drove in two runs and Albert Pujols snapped a scoreless tie with a single that gave him 15 RBI in his last 15 games.When you rebound with three games like we have, youre going in the right direction, Angels manager Mike Scioscia said after Los Angeles won for just the fifth time in 17 games.But we have our work cut out for us. We need to keep getting better, and were not going to get better until our rotation gets solid and these guys get comfortable and keep throwing like you saw Hector (Thursday), Scioscia added. Once that starts to happen, I think were all going to feel more comfortable with where we are.Pujols put the Angels ahead with his sixth-inning single off rookie Blake Snell (1-4). Cron followed with a RBI grounder that the Rays, whove lost 19 of 22, were unable to turn into an inning-ending double play.The Angels, whove taken three straight for their longest winning streak since they won four in a row from May 13-16, added two more runs in the eighth on Crons bases-loaded sacrifice fly and a perfectly executed double steal that saw Pujols swipe second base while Mike Trout sprinted home without drawing a throw to make it 4-0.Santiago (6-4) walked four and struck out nine. The left-hander worked out situations with runners in scoring position in the second and third innings, then only allowed two men to reach base over his last four innings.Tampa Bays Brad Miller homered on reliever Joe Smiths first pitch, breaking up the shutout.I feel really comfortable from the stretch, Ive been saying that for the last four or five starts, Santiago said. I feel when Im in the stretch I have a great mindset and a positive mindset.Snell, who has taken the loss in four of his six career starts, allowed two runs and four hits over six innings for Tampa Bay. The 23-year-old left-hander walked two and struck out seven.The Angels move on to Baltimore, where theyll finish a 10-game road trip heading into the All-Star break. Theyve scored 57 runs through seven games while batting .323, including .382 with runners in scoring position.We got three out of four here, and this road trip weve been pretty good, pitching-wise and offensively, Santiago said. All around, were clicking.TRAINERS ROOMAngels: RHP Cory Rasmus is expected to miss a minimum of six more weeks after surgery on Thursday to repair a right groin injury. ... C Geovany Soto, out since May 18 with a right lateral meniscus injury, might be activated this weekend.Rays: RHP Alex Cobb (Tommy John surgery) felt fine one day after his first rehab start Wednesday night for Class A Charlotte and will make his next appearance Monday. ... C Curt Casali, who left Wednesdays game with a bruise on the left side of his head after being struck by a back swing, sat out the series finale and is day to day. ... INF Steve Pearce (strained right hamstring) is scheduled to start on-field batting practice Friday.RARE COMBOTampa Bays Chris Archer (4-11, 127 strikeouts) and Drew Smyly (2-10, 108) are the second pair of teammates in major league history to lose 10 or more games while fanning at least 100 batters before the All-Star break. Clay Kirby (6-11, 126) and Steve Arlin (8-11, 115) did it for the San Diego Padres in 1972.HOT BATSAngels 3B Yunel Escobar went 3 for 5, extending his hitting streak to a career best-matching 12 games. SS Andrelton Simmons, meanwhile, doubled in the eighth inning, giving him a nine-game hitting streak.UP NEXTAngels: Continue a 10-game East Coast road trip leading into the All-Star break, with RHP Matt Shoemaker (3-9, 4.40 ERA) making his second start of the season against Baltimore. He pitched 7 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing three hits and striking out a career-high 12 in his start against the Orioles at Angel Stadium on May 21.Rays: Archer, who lost eight straight decisions against the Red Sox, starts the opener of a weekend series in Boston. The right-hander, whos gone from an All-Star a year ago to leading the majors in losses this season, is the first pitcher since Phil Niekro (Braves) in 1977 to have as many as 11 losses and 127 strikeouts at the All-Star break. The other times that happened occurred in 1973, when Nolan Ryan (Angels), Gaylord Perry (Indians) and Wilbur Wood (White Sox) all did it.Michael Bradley USA Jersey . Its sharpness matched my mind. This was no night to go to sleep. Timothy Weah Jersey . On June 12, just as the sun sets on the magnificent historical city of Sao Paulo the inventors, innovators and purveyors of “joga bonitowill” open their campaign. The opponent, Croatia and all its football might and will. As opposites do attract we are set for a corker of an opener. http://www.soccerusateamonline.com/Alejandro-Bedoya-Copa-America-Jersey/ . Q: Team Canada announces their Olympic roster three weeks from today. Who is general manager Steve Yzerman watching? LeBrun: Over the last 48 hours, hes taken in the home-and-home between the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche with Jamie Benn and Matt Duchene being the obvious targets. Chris Wondolowski Jersey .25 million option on reliever Jose Veras. Michael Bradley Jersey . -- The Sacramento Kings are set to become the first major professional sports franchise to accept Bitcoin virtual currency for ticket and merchandise purchases.Brisbane Roar have issued an A-League statement of intent with a clinical 1-0 win over Melbourne City.Jamie Maclarens second goal in as many games was all the Roar needed to book a third successive win and rise to second on the ladder after a quality display at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night.The result was built on defence, with Brisbane becoming the first team to hold Citys star-studded attack goalless this season.But if anything the scoreboard flattered the visitors, who struggled to contain the Roars surprise counter-attacking tactics.The crowd of 20,198 - boosted by Tim Cahill, who played a full match - was Brisbanes biggest regular-season attendance since Sydney FC marquee Alessandro Del Pieros visit in October 2013.However, neither the Socceroo great nor strike partner Bruno Fornaroli had much impact, and City finished with zero shots on target.The Roar, who usually like to dominate possession at home, had just 37 per cent of the ball in the first half but looked by far the more threatening side going forward.Seemingly content to sit back and mop up opposition mistakes, Brisbanes uncharacteristic approach paid dividends.Maclarens 11th-minute goal came from such a counter-surge, which featured key contributions from Brett Holman, Thomas Broich and Tommy Oar.Holman carved out the opening with a neat dribble, Broich provided the killer pass to Oar, and the fringe Socceroo wingers stray touch as he rounded goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis was rescued and then smashed into the back of the net by Maclaren, who wheeled away in jubilation.dddddddddddd.Brisbane had ample opportunities to add a second goal but lacked the composure to convert, although Bouzanis did save strongly in the 85th minute to deny Maclaren, who will join the Socceroos next week before their World Cup qualifier in Thailand.City had their moments in the second half but couldnt crack the Roars strong rearguard, with centre-back Luke DeVere particularly impressive.City coach John van t Schip accused the Roar of parking the bus and trying to stifle their attacking play.They changed their style completely from a ball-possession game, dominating, to a team that defends more and plays the ball over the top, he said.Well get more teams that are going to defend and park the bus and try and get us on the counter. We will have to deal with that and come up with solutions.We just couldnt penetrate enough.Brisbane coach John Aloisi said it was hard for his side to maintain possession given Citys pressing and man-on-man defence.If they are going to go man-on-man thats up to them, he said.If youve got players like Macca, why wouldnt you actually exploit the space and some of their weaknesses?I thought we did that well. We created enough chances to win the game comfortably and I dont think they created one clear chance. ' ' '