SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. | Hector Santiago struck out six while pitching into the fifth inning and Cliff Pennington had two more hits for the Los Angeles Angels in a 4-all, nine-inning tie with the Colorado Rockies on Thursday.
Santiago allowed four hits and a lone run on Tom Murphy’s solo homer to center on a 95 mph, 0-2 fastball to lead off the third.
Santiago was lifted after giving up Rafael Ynoa’s second hit and a walk with one out in the fifth. He said after his fourth spring start that there’s “probably a spot for me” in the rotation.
“A good workout for him,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.
Pennington, a free-agent pickup, went 2 for 3 with an RBI and raised his average to .393.
Johnny Giavotella had two hits for the Angels, including a two-run double in the first off Rockies prospect Jeff Hoffman.
The top five hitters in the Colorado starting lineup went 0 for 13.
STARTING TIME
Angels: Santiago balked a runner to third before striking out Brandon Barnes to end the fourth. He threw 46 of 78 pitches for strikes, and said Murphy’s home run came on a pitch out of the strike zone.
“He just got it up in the breeze,” Santiago said. “I think it was a little bit of an Arizona thing, where the ball flies.”
Rockies: Hoffman, sent to minor league camp last week, was torched for four runs and eight hits while walking two and getting eight outs.
Rotation candidate Jon Gray followed and struck out three in four scoreless innings.
“Good outing by Jonny,” Colorado manager Walt Weiss said.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Angels: RHP Jered Weaver (neck) threw a bullpen session without incident and insists he’ll be ready for the start of the season. He is scheduled to pitch in a minor league game Sunday after skipping his previous start to see a spine specialist. . C Geovany Soto (sore arm) entered in the sixth as the replacement DH and went 0 for 1 with a walk.
Rockies: LHP Boone Logan (elbow) faced two batters, allowing one hit, in his first spring appearance. . RHP David Hale (hamstring) made his spring debut, allowing a hit, walk and no runs while getting five outs.
GOOD AT BASEBALL
Colorado 3B Nolan Arenado didn’t play. That allowed others to gawk at his numbers.
The 24-year-old Arenado entered the day with the most hits (16), highest batting average (.593) and best OPS (1.512) in the majors.
“He puts in a lot of work, so I’m not surprised,” teammate Carlos Gonzalez said. “I think he’s becoming a great player because he picks whatever is going to help him from each player around him.”
SIMMONS AT DH
The Angels traded for SS Andrelton Simmons for his defense. But there he was at DH again, going 1 for 2 with a walk.
Simmons hasn’t played in the field in four days to rest a sore arm that manager Mike Scioscia said isn’t serious.
UP & DOWN
Rockies LF Ryan Raburn had a wild first inning. After being unable to make a running catch of Giavotella’s fly ball that was ruled a double, he made a spectacular grab of Ji-Man Choi’s foul fly before falling over the railing into the Angels’ bullpen
UP NEXT
Angels: RHP Garrett Richards leads a split squad against the Rockies on Friday. RHP Matt Shoemaker starts the other game against Kansas City.
Rockies: RHPs Antonio Senzatela and Jordan Lyles are scheduled for four innings each Friday against the Angels.