Andrew Heaney, homers help Los Angeles Angels edge Chicago White Sox

The Angels are 5-1 in their last 6 Monday games and 7-2 in Heaneys last 9 starts.

“After the first homer, the responded to it was great and he pitched effectively, ” Chicago manager Robin Ventura said.

But both went for solo home runs and that was more than the White Sox offense could keep up with as they lost to the Los Angeles Angels, 2-1, in front 36,431 at Angel Stadium.

“I’m not going to pretend as if today didn’t mean a little bit more and that I didn’t feel a little more sense of responsibility, ” Street said.

The only time the White Sox scored came in the second inning on a Johnny Giavotella error. It was the last time they got a runner as far as second base until Cron’s ninth homer of the season. “Falling behind 2-0 kind of put me in a hole, so I had to get back in the count with a fastball”.

“He’s been good the last couple and I know he was good the last time, but this one seemed like a command-wise he was just grabbing it and getting going”, Ventura said.

“He threw me a first pitch slider in that I swung through, a little down”, Cron said.

Melky Cabrera homered yesterday, his eight on the season.

Fernando Salas, Joe Smith and Huston Street combined for three scoreless innings to close out the victory. In the second inning, he ordered a call to the bullpen to have a reliever warm up, and he yanked Rodon after 81 pitches in the fifth inning as the Rays were clawing their way back into a game the Sox led 5-0.

The Angels (61-57), coming off a 1-6 road trip that culminated with a heartbreaking 4-3, 10-inning loss Sunday at Kansas City, pulled within 2 1/2 games of first-place Houston in the AL West. Chicago is 55-61. I threw a 3-2 changeup that he fouled off, and it looked like he was sitting on it, so I went back to the fastball down in the zone.

“To be able to get a pitch like that in a 3-2 count and the bases loaded and just stick it, I think it says a lot about Andrew”, Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.

Angels: LHP C.J. Wilson, whose season is over due to bone spurs and bone chips in his elbow, is scheduled to undergo surgery on Thursday at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic in Los Angeles.

Pujols is batting. 169 in his last 14 games versus the White Sox even after going 3 for 6 on Wednesday. The nine-year veteran hasn’t finished a season with an ERA under 4.00 since 2010, when he had a 3.72 mark and a career-high 15 victories — including a two-hit shutout against the Angels.

The southpaw Heaney threw six innings and allowed one earned run on five hits while striking out four, walking one and hitting two on 100 pitches.

Rodon walked three and struck out five over eight innings.