MIKE TROUT went hitless Friday but the Angels beat the White Sox 7-0 in Anaheim (Flickr/Keith Allison).

By Pete Zarustica

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim got the “second half” of the 2016 season started in fine fashion Friday, beating the Chicago White Sox 7-0 at the Big A. Hector Santiago picked up his seventh win of the season and the Halos scored five runs in the seventh inning to open up a close game.

Santiago (7-4) worked seven innings and yielded just five hits. He struck out seven batters and walked one. “Tonight, it looked like [Hector] had the command,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “Not only was he getting the ball in the zone, but he was getting it into good spots. He pitched in well, changed speeds, got the ball to the outside corner when he had to.”

The Angels had nine hits and were helped by two White Sox fielding errors.

Yunel Escobar and Geovany Soto each had two hits in the game.

The contest created one piece of trivia; it was the first time in 2016 that the Angels won a game without Mike Trout or Albert Pujols getting a hit.

The Angels are now 38-52, still in fifth place in the American League West but only a game behind the fourth place Oakland A’s. The series with the Chisox (45-44) continues on Saturday.