A's gain split with Angels

OAKLAND -- Trevor Cahill allowed one run in a career-high eight innings to win his fourth straight start and the Oakland Athletics beat nemesis Ervin Santana and the Los Angeles Angels 6-1 Thursday. Ryan Sweeney scored three times and Daric Barton drove in one run and scored two for the A's, who earned a split of the four-game series against their AL West rivals. The A's struck for two runs in the fourth and three in the fifth against Santana (6-4), who came into the game with an 11-2 record and a 1.50 ERA in 19 career appearances against Oakland. His ERA was the lowest any pitcher with at least 10 starts had against the A's and he had never given up more than three runs in a single start. The beneficiary of the outburst was Cahill (5-2), nicked only by an RBI single from Bobby Wilson in the fifth while extending his run of strong starts. Cahill gave up six hits and one walk, lowering his ERA to 1.33 in his past four starts. His longest previous outing was 7 1-3 innings against Arizona last season. Andrew Bailey finished with a perfect ninth, sending the A's into an interleague series in San Francisco against the cross-bay rival Giants on a high note. The Angels finish their 14-game road trip with a three-game series in Los Angeles against the Dodgers. They are 8-3 so far on the trip. Santana, who had won five straight starts, retired the first eight batters he faced and appeared to be in control once again until issuing a leadoff walk to Barton to open the fourth inning. Sweeney followed with an RBI double that right fielder Juan Rivera appeared to misplay and Gabe Gross drove in another run with a swinging bunt single with two outs. The A's added three more runs in the fifth on RBI singles by Barton, Kurt Suzuki and Kevin Kouzmanoff to make it 5-1. Cliff Pennington scored the first run after his second single in the game. Pennington had been mired in a 3-for-46 slump before coming through against Santana. Santana allowed five runs -- four earned -- and seven hits in five innings -- his shortest start of the season. NOTES: The A's improved to a major league best 16-7 in day games. ... The Angels had been 7-0 when Wilson started at catcher. ... Angels 1B Kendry Morales had surgery on his broken left leg Thursday. There is no timetable for his return. ... Oakland DH Eric Chavez (neck spasms) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Sacramento on Monday. ... A's OF Rajai Davis (left hamstring) ran before the game and is expected to return this weekend in San Francisco, manager Bob Geren said.