Wilson Blanks Rays On 5 Hits in 6-0 Shutout

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — C.J. Wilson scattered five hits in his second career shutout and Grant Green homered, leading the Los Angeles Angels to a 6-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday night.

Wilson (5-3) threw 127 pitches, struck out five and escaped a bases-loaded jam in the seventh by inducing his third double-play grounder of the game.

The two-time All-Star lefty has made 80 starts since his previous shutout and complete game, which was against the Rays on Sept. 6, 2011, while pitching for Texas.

Wilson, who came in leading the majors with 116.3 pitches per start, threw just 75 through the first six innings before singles by Evan Longoria and Yunel Escobar and a walk to Logan Forsythe loaded the bases with one out in the seventh. But Rays RBI leader James Loney grounded into a double play on the next pitch.

Cesar Ramos (1-3) lasted only 35 pitches, getting charged with four runs and four hits through 1 1-3 innings in his seventh start since he was inserted into the rotation to replace the injured Matt Moore.

Howie Kendrick, who entered with a .363 career average against Tampa Bay, opened the scoring in the first with an RBI single and Erick Aybar hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly two batters later.

In the second, Ramos plunked No. 9 hitter Luis Jimenez just below the left knee with a pitch that bounced on the grass first. Collin Cowgill followed with a sharp single to the right of shortstop Escobar and continued to second on rookie center fielder Kevin Kiermaier's throw to third.

Manager Joe Maddon lifted Ramos at that point and brought in Brandon Gomes, who gave up a sacrifice fly to Mike Trout and an opposite-field ground-rule double by Albert Pujols that landed just inside the right field line.

It was Pujols' 535th career double, breaking a tie with Lou Gehrig for 34th place. It also ended an RBI drought of nine games and 39 at-bats by the two-time NL MVP since his run-scoring single against the Yankees' Shawn Kelley on May 6 at Angel Stadium.

Green, who came to the Angels last July in a trade that sent Alberto Callaspo to Oakland, made it 6-0 in the third with his homer to left-center after a two-out double by Chris Iannetta. Green has two home runs in 174 career at-bats. The other one came on Sept. 2, 2013, a solo shot against Tampa Bay's Josh Lueke at Angel Stadium as a pinch-hitter for Aybar.

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