Angels pile on runs early in 6-2 win over Royals

Most major league starting pitchers speak sparingly to their teammates and not at all to reporters in the hours before games they are scheduled to start. To ask that night’s starter a question is to commit an infraction akin to gross misdemeanor.

Hector Santiago is different. Not three hours before what might have been his last start as an Angel on Monday at Kauffman Stadium, the 28-year-old left-hander was recalling to reporters his success against selected major league hitters and his failures against others.

Who had he struck out the most? He wanted to know. Who had launched the most homers against him? He had an idea. Santiago has retained a curiosity and friendliness foreign to the majority of his counterparts. In the imperfect but effective effort that followed, the eccentric pitched the Angels to a 6-2 victory over Kansas City.

“I just try to come in, have fun, and be happy every day,” he said afterward. “If this is gonna be my last game here, I’ll just enjoy it and have fun with the guys I’ve bonded all year with. I can’t tell them to trade me or not trade me. We’ll see what happens from there.”

Smarting from a weekend sweep in Houston, the Angels piled on early runs against Royals starter Ian Kennedy. Third baseman Yunel Escobar slapped his 25th leadoff single of the season, and moved to third when Kole Calhoun and Mike Trout worked consecutive walks. The bases full, outs non-existent, Albert Pujols delivered a two-run single to center field. Daniel Nava followed with a deep fly that served as a sacrifice, and Carlos Perez singled in Pujols.

The Angels scored again in the seventh and ninth, both times via run-scoring singles from Pujols, the 36-year-old designated hitter who attended high school and junior college in the Kansas City area.

The lone hit Santiago yielded the first time through the Royals’ order was Paulo Orlando’s second-inning blooper. It fell a a foot from Calhoun and four feet from second baseman Johnny Giavotella. Then, in the fourth, Eric Hosmer bunted for a hit to beat the shift, and Santiago threw errantly to first. Hosmer took second and then third on a flyout. He jogged home when Salvador Perez slammed Santiago’s next pitch, a changeup, for a two-run home run.

“He got me,” Santiago said. “I didn’t think he’d be that aggressive.”

In the fifth, Andrelton Simmons turned in two of his best defensive plays of the season on consecutive grounders. He ranged deep into the hole and made accurate in-air throws each time, but did not record outs on either play. With the bases full, pitching coach Charles Nagy visited the mound, and he and Santiago decided to throw Kendrys Morales only fastballs. He had hammered a changeup earlier.

Santiago struck him out on three pitches. He made it two batters into the sixth before Manager Mike Scioscia pulled him.

Over his last eight starts, Santiago has authored a 2.40 earned-run average. He owns a 4.28 mark on the season, 3.68 for his career. His recent performance could be attractive to a contending team seeking starting pitching ahead of the Aug. 1 nonwaiver trade deadline.

The Angels can keep him through next season, and pay him a salary of around $8 million. Or they can trade him now and try to push some present value toward the future. There is one week left to decide before the 1 p.m. PT deadline on Aug. 1.

Four relievers followed Santiago to the mound. Joe Smith did not, because his back tightened during his pregame catch session. He described himself as fit to pitch, but Scioscia said he desired to avoid him. Santiago and Smith are two of the Angels’ four primary trade candidates, in addition to Escobar and closer Huston Street.

Street, struggling this season, handled Monday’s ninth. His first pitch was whacked down the right-field line, just foul, by Alex Gordon, but he settled to secure three rapid outs.

pedro.moura@latimes.com

Twitter: @pedromoura