ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Manager Brad Ausmus had seen Hector Santiago on the mound several times before his Detroit Tigers faced the Los Angeles Angels lefty on Friday night.

This time, though, it was different.

Santiago allowed just three singles over 7 1/3 scoreless innings, leading the Angels to a 2-0 win.

"He's turned into more of a polished pitcher than he was before than the last time we saw him a year ago," Ausmus said. "He was more of a thrower then; now he's more of a pitcher."

Santiago couldn't agree more.

"Definitely, I believe that 100 percent," Santiago said. "Last year, I was 'Here you go, try to hit it if you can.' I was trying to light up the (radar) gun.

"This year, I'm trying to execute, cutters down and in, off the plate, get 'em to chase. Having five pitches (I can throw) for strikes is a lot better than one pitch (fastball) for a strike."

Santiago did need some help from his bullpen, and got it. Huston Street entered the game in the eighth inning with two outs and the bases loaded, but struck out left fielder Yoenis Cespedes to end the inning. Street then pitched a scoreless ninth to finish it off for his 15th save, his first of the year that was more than three outs.

It marked the seventh time in 10 starts this season that Santiago yielded one earned run or less, but the first time he pitched into the eighth inning.

The key for Santiago (4-3) was keeping his pitch count down -- he has made at least 100 pitches in nine of his 10 starts, but lasted at least seven innings just three times, including Friday.

He made 112 pitches, striking out seven and walking three.

"I think he didn't let too many counts get away once he had command of it, he was putting guys away," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "He used all his pitches; that's a tough right-handed lineup. Hector stayed on top of it all night."

The Angels didn't do much with Tigers starter Anibal Sanchez, but it was enough. Their first run came home on what should have been an inning-ending double play ball hit by left fielder Matt Joyce, but second baseman Ian Kinsler booted it for an error, allowing a run to score.

"Ian's an excellent second baseman," Ausmus said. "He just happened to make an error today at a tough time."

The Angels' second run came on first baseman Albert Pujols' solo homer in the sixth, his 10th of the season. On a 3-1 count, Pujols took a called strike that appeared low and away, drawing the ire of Pujols and Scioscia in the dugout. It turned out to be a break for the Angels, as Pujols drilled the full-count pitch into the Tigers bullpen beyond the left-field fence.

Pujols finished with three hits and scored both Angels runs.

It was a tough-luck outing for Sanchez (3-6), who pitched well enough to win, but didn't. Sanchez gave up two runs on six hits and two walks, and struck out nine to match a season-high, a solid performance coming two consecutive bad starts.

"He seemed to have a determination," Ausmus said of Sanchez. "When he came off the mound between innings, he had a look in his eyes. He needed to prove to himself he wasn't the pitcher that people had seen in his last couple starts."

The Tigers never put up a serious scoring threat until the eighth. Santiago came out after giving up a one-out single to shortstop Jose Iglesias, handing the ball to right-hander Cam Bedrosian.

Bedrosian gave up a single to center fielder Rajai Davis, then got second baseman Ian Kinsler on a grounder to first.

With two out and first base open, Bedrosian intentionally walked first baseman Miguel Cabrera, loading the bases for Cespedes.

That's when Scioscia summoned Street, who needed four pitches to strike out Cespedes and end the threat.

NOTES: Angels SS Erick Aybar was not in the starting lineup for the first time all season becau