Garland caps Angels’ All-Star day with win

You know you have a deep pitching staff when, on a day two of your starters and your closer are named to the American League All-Star team, it’s a veteran who wasn’t even mentioned as an All-Star candidate who throws a complete game for the 100th victory of his career.

Jon Garland was a picture of efficiency Sunday, needing only 98 pitches -- 67 were strikes -- to breeze through Toronto’s lineup in a 7-1 victory over the Blue Jays in Angel Stadium.

The right-hander gave up six hits, his only blemish Rod Barajas’ fifth-inning home run, to help the Angels increase their AL West lead over Oakland to a season-high six games.

Garland (8-5) walked none and struck out three, which is not unusual; the sinker-ball specialist is not overpowering, with 50 strikeouts in 117 1/3 innings this season.

But two of those whiffs came in the second against good hitters -- Lyle Overbay and Scott Rolen -- after Toronto put a runner on third with none out. Garland got Gregg Zaun to ground out, ending the inning.

“I guess I didn’t want them to score,” Garland said, when asked what got into him in the second. “I jumped ahead of them and made quality pitches. I was able to put them on the defensive, and they chased some pitches out of the zone.”

The Angels scored twice in the first on Garret Anderson’s two-out, two-run double to left, and reserve Juan Rivera continued his push for more playing time with a solo home run in the second, his second homer in his last two games.

Jeff Mathis, who will handle the bulk of the catching duties after Mike Napoli was put on the disabled list because of a sore shoulder Sunday afternoon, keyed a three-run sixth inning with a two-run single and added a run-scoring single in the seventh.

Rivera, starting for the fourth time in eight games, had a hand in the defensive play of the game, fielding Overbay’s two-out double off the right-field wall and throwing to second baseman Howie Kendrick, who nailed Vernon Wells at the plate to end the fourth.

But it was Rivera’s home run to center field against Toronto starter Jesse Litsch (8-5) that could resonate most with Manager Mike Scioscia, who may have little choice but to play Rivera over struggling outfielder Gary Matthews Jr. more often.

“He’s certainly going to get a chance to contribute,” Scioscia said of Rivera. “It may not be on an everyday basis, but if he keeps swinging like this, he’ll get more at-bats.”

Before the game, the Angels learned that right-hander Ervin Santana, left-hander Joe Saunders and closer Francisco Rodriguez were voted onto the AL All-Star team by fellow players, the first time the Angels will have three pitchers on the team.

Rodriguez was a lock for the July 15 game in Yankee Stadium -- he has a major league-leading 34 saves and a 1.93 earned-run average, and has held opponents to a .171 average -- and he relishes the chance to return to the site of his first playoff win, as a 20-year old phenom in the 2002 division series.

“That was an unbelievable feeling,” Rodriguez said. “I have so many memories of pitching there the first year I came up. And now, being able to go back there for the All-Star game in the last year of Yankee Stadium, it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

For Saunders (12-4, 3.04 ERA) and Santana (9-3, 3.28 ERA), their first All-Star berths complete a remarkable transformation from a winter of uncertainty to the midsummer classic.

Both were expected to compete for the fifth spot in the rotation after the Angels acquired Garland from the White Sox in November.

But an injury to Kelvim Escobar assured them of rotation spots, and both have enjoyed breakout seasons, Santana rebounding from a 2007 that was so shaky (7-14, 5.76 ERA) he was demoted to triple-A Salt Lake last July.

“Out of all the guys who are going, what Ervin has done is remarkable,” Scioscia said. “He was sent down last season to work on his mechanics, pitched winter ball to get ready for the season, and he’s been lights out. I couldn’t be happier for this kid.”

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mike.digiovanna@latimes.com