DETROIT, July 31 (UPI) — Justin Verlander took a no-hitter into the eighth inning Sunday and the Detroit Tigers hung on the edge the Los Angeles Angels 3-2.

Verlander (15-5) didn’t allow a hit until Maicer Izturis delivered a two-out single in the eighth, which scored Peter Bourjos and cut Detroit’s lead to one run.

But Verlander struck out Torii Hunter to end the threat, finishing the day by allowing two unearned runs on only one hit while walking two and striking out nine.

The Tigers ace became the major leagues’ second 15-game winner lowered his ERA to 2.24.

Jose Valderde earned his 28th save with a scoreless ninth for the first-place Tigers, who took the rubber match of a three-game set against the Angels.

Magglio Ordonez belted a two-run homer in the third and Carlos Guillen added a controversial solo shot off Jered Weaver (14-5) in the seventh.

Guillen posed at home plate after the homer, angering Weaver and bringing an umpire’s warning to both benches. The hurler’s next pitch to Detroit’s Alex Aviles was over the batter’s head, and both Weaver and Angels Manager Mike Scioscia were ejected.

Weaver went 6 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on four hits.

The Los Angeles Angels had their string of stellar pitching efforts snapped in their series opener against the Detroit Tigers, but it didn’t stop them from earning yet another victory.

The Angels will try to build on one of their best offensive performances of the season while spoiling Rick Porcello’s attempt to win a fifth consecutive start Friday night.

Going into this series at Comerica Park, Los Angeles (58-48) had posted a 1.61 ERA in seven games, a stretch capped by Ervin Santana’s no-hitter at Cleveland on Wednesday.

The Angels nearly blew a five-run lead Thursday, allowing Detroit (55-50) to score four times in the fourth inning, but pulled away with five runs in the seventh and went on to win 12-7.

Los Angeles scored only seven runs against the Indians, but had 17 hits and posted its second-highest run total of the season Thursday in winning for the seventh time in nine games.

Mark Trumbo finished a single shy of the cycle and drove in a career-high five runs.

“Power and production are what I need to do. That’s what first basemen are known for,” said Trumbo, hitting .256 with a team-best 19 homers and 53 RBIs.

The Angels haven’t had much trouble producing against Porcello, who has posted a 7.40 ERA in four career matchups. The right-hander, though, won his past two starts versus Los Angeles thanks in large part to a combined 16 runs of support.

Detroit, loser of two straight and four of six since a 4-1 stretch, has provided Porcello (10-6, 4.67 ERA) with 22 runs during his four-start win streak. He has posted a 3.33 ERA over the run.

Porcello can tie his career high for consecutive starts won, set from May 5-27, 2009. He gave up two runs over six innings of a 5-2 win over Minnesota on Sunday.

“We need that (winning) to continue because that’s going to be the bottom line whenever this is all said and done,” manager Jim Leyland said. “(Porcello, Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer) went on a little decent roll here so hopefully it keeps up.”

The Angels’ Tyler Chatwood (6-6, 3.64) will try to build on his first win in four starts. The right-hander gave up two runs over seven innings of a 9-3 victory over Baltimore on Sunday.

The rookie, who didn’t walk a batter for the first time in 19 career outings, had walked 11 over his previous two outings.

“I tried to attack the zone a little more and not nitpick on the corners,” he said. “It’s something we’ve been working on a while.”

Chatwood gave up two unearned runs over 5 1-3 innings against Detroit on July 6, not getting the decision in a 5-4 defeat.

The Angels are looking to win four straight road games for the first time since taking a season-high five in a row April 5-17.

Copyright 2011 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and The Associated Press is strictly prohibited.

The Los Angeles Angels’ first no-hitter in 21 years was also the latest in a string of stellar pitching performances.

The Angels will try to add to that run with Joel Pineiro on the mound Thursday to begin a four-game series against the AL Central-leading Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park.

Ervin Santana’s masterful performance during a 3-1 win over Cleveland on Wednesday gave the Angels (57-48) their first no-hitter since Mark Langston and Mike Witt teamed up against Seattle on April 11, 1990. Witt had been the franchise’s last pitcher to accomplish the feat by himself with a perfect game versus Texas on Sept. 30, 1984.

The Angels, already owners of the AL’s best ERA (3.28), have a 1.61 ERA over their last seven games – 1.42 for their starters.

“We’re getting terrific pitching,” manager Mike Scioscia told the team’s website. “We’ve given up the fewest runs (377) in the (AL). We’ve played a lot of close games, and the one constant has been pitching and defense.”

Pineiro (5-5, 4.61 ERA) will try to lead Scioscia’s team to its seventh victory in nine games by earning his first win in three starts. After going 3-0 with a 3.66 ERA in his final five outings before the All-Star break, the right-hander didn’t make it out of the first inning in a 9-1 loss in Oakland on July 17, giving up eight runs.

He had a more respectable showing Saturday in Baltimore as he allowed three runs over 5 1-3 innings, but also gave up 11 hits in a 3-2 defeat.

“I think tonight he kept us in the game even though he struggled with some things,” Scioscia said. “Hopefully when he gets refined, he gets location, he gets a little crispness back on his stuff, the results will be more like what we’re used to.”

Pineiro, whose .316 opponent batting average would be the highest in the majors if he had enough innings to qualify, yielded one run and five hits over seven innings during a 5-1 win over Detroit on July 4. He was tagged for a career-high 10 runs over 3 1-3 innings, however, during his last trip to Comerica Park, a 10-6 loss on April 30, 2010.

Pineiro, 8-3 with a 3.16 ERA in 14 career games against Detroit, has alternated losses and wins in his last six. He’s posted a 0.50 ERA in the three victories and an 8.00 ERA in the three defeats.

He’ll face a Tigers lineup that’s batting .291 over the last nine games – 25 points higher than the team’s season average. Detroit has scored 42 runs over that stretch, but got only Austin Jackson’s home run in a 2-1 loss to Chicago White Sox on Wednesday.

The Tigers (55-49) were 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position after hitting .354 (29 for 82) in those situations during a 6-3 stretch.

“We just didn’t do a very good job offensively today when we had the opportunities,” manager Jim Leyland said.

The Tigers will try to provide more support for Brad Penny (7-7, 4.51) as he tries to earn his third win in four starts overall and his third in a row over the Angels.

The veteran right-hander has a 6.23 ERA in his last four starts against Los Angeles but has been provided with a combined 21 runs of support while going 2-0. He gave up four runs over 6 1-3 innings July 6 in Anaheim but got the victory in a 5-4 win, which helped the Tigers avoid a three-game sweep.

Penny wasn’t as fortunate Saturday, allowing four runs over seven innings during a 4-1 defeat at Minnesota.

Copyright 2011 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and The Associated Press is strictly prohibited.

Los Angeles Angels pitcher Ervin Santana pitched the team’s first no-hitter in 27 years even though he could not manage a shutout in a 3-1 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday.

The 28-year-old Dominican right-hander struck out 10 batters in the afternoon outing, hurling the third no-hitter of the Major League Baseball season and the first against the Indians since Jim Abbott of the New York Yankees in 1993.

Santana was previously 0-6 all-time against Cleveland with a 4.98 earned-run average in 10 career starts against the Indians.

“I never get a win against this team,” Santana said.

Santana’s luck looked bad again early after Cleveland leadoff hitter Ezequiel Carrera reached base on an error by Angels shortstop Erick Aybar. Carrera stole second base, reached third on a ground out and scored on a wild pitch by Santana.

But after that, the only base runner Santana allowed was when he walked Lonnie Chisenhall in the eighth inning, when Santana struck out three other Indians and started thinking about the no-hit possibilities.

“Lots of guys get to five, six innings, but that’s when things get a little complicated,” Santana said.

Santana, who threw five no-hit innings against Baltimore in his prior start, needed only one sharp fielding play in defensive support and Angels second baseman Howie Kendrick made it in the sixth, diving to stop the ball and throwing out Jason Kipnis from his knees.

It was the first no-hitter for the Angels since Mark Langston went seven innings and Mike Witt threw two to thwart Seattle in 1990. The last Angel with a solo no-hitter was Witt in a 1984 perfect game against Texas.

Minnesota’s Francisco Liriano pitched this year’s first no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox on May 3 and Detroit’s Justin Verlander followed four days later with a no-hit victory over Toronto.

The ninth no-hitter in Angels history was secured by Santana in the ninth when he struck out Travis Buck, Carrera grounded out and Michael Brantley flew out to centerfield.

Santana, 6-8 this season, threw 76 strikes and 105 total pitches for his third triumph in a row.