ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Joel Pineiro pitched into the eighth inning and Fernando Rodney got the save against his former team, closing out the Los Angeles Angels' 2-0 win over the Detroit Tigers on Monday night.
The Angels won their fourth straight after beginning the season 2-6.
Pineiro (2-1) allowed nine hits in 7 1-3 innings, struck out four and walked none.
The right-hander started two inning-ending double plays — one on a line drive by Alexei Avila that trapped Brandon Inge off first base in the second, the other on a comebacker by Miguel Cabrera in the sixth.
Kevin Jepsen relieved Pineiro with runners on first and second, then stranded both runners in scoring position by knocking down Carlos Guillen's comebacker and throwing him out.
Rodney, who converted 43 of 44 opportunities for the Tigers last year, pitched a perfect ninth for his fourth save in four chances with the Angels since regular closer Brian Fuentes went on the disabled list with a back strain.
Dontrelle Willis (0-1) allowed two runs and four hits over seven innings and struck out two.
The two-time All-Star left-hander, whose 2009 season was interrupted twice by stints on the disabled list with anxiety disorder, has allowed eight runs in 17 innings over his first three starts in the final season of a three-year $29 million contract.
The Angels went ahead in the third when Detroit right fielder Magglio Ordonez chased Jeff Mathis' double down the line into foul territory and made a throw to second that caromed off Mathis' foot and away from shortstop Adam Everett. Howie Kendrick scored from first on the play.
Mathis scored the second run when Everett fielded Bobby Abreu's grounder and threw to third for the tag on Brandon Wood, who had walked.
NOTES: The only starting pitcher the Angels won't face in this four-game series is RHP Max Scherzer, who was on the mound when Gary Matthews Jr. pulled off a straight steal of home for the Halos against the Arizona Diamondbacks last June at Phoenix in an interleague game. ... Mike Scioscia's career record as a big league manager is 907-727 — 92 games better than Detroit's Jim Leyland through his first 1,634 games (815-819). Scioscia and Leyland both have won a World Series ring as managers, and both have been chosen manager of the year more than once. ... Monday was the 44th anniversary of the Angels' first regular-season game in Anaheim.
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