ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Angels began the season confident Albert Pujols would anchor a powerful lineup. Pujols has been an anchor, all right. But the slumping slugger is just one reason the Angels are sinking to depths of historic proportions. Tyson Ross allowed five hits in six strong innings to snap a three-start skid, Josh Reddick homered and Seth Smith hit a two-run double in the Oakland Athletics 5-0 victory Monday night. Dan Haren (1-4) yielded six hits and four runs during another poor start for the Angels, who were shut out for a major league-worst eighth time this season, a club record for 36 games into the season. The shutouts occurred over the past 31 games. Los Angeles offence wasnt helped when outfielder Torii Hunter went on the restricted list before the game to deal with his teenage sons arrest, but an entire Angels lineup stacked with proven veteran hitters has been alarmingly inept. "This team is too good to be shut out as much as weve been shut out this season," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "I think we had better at-bats than its going to show in the box score. ... Its going to be a grind. Theres only one way out of the hole, and thats to grind, inch by inch." Pujols went 1 for 4 with an eighth-inning single, following up his 5-for-26 road trip by drawing scattered boos as his batting average improved to .197. The $240 million man hit his only homer of the season in the Angels previous home game May 6. "Its been frustrating, and its surprising," said Vernon Wells, who went 1 for 4 and made a diving catch in left field. "When you do everything right and still dont get the results, thats one of the most frustrating things about this game." For all of the Angels offensive problems, their No. 2 starters struggles might be even more worrisome. Haren didnt make it out of the fourth inning of his last start when his back tightened up, resulting in the three-time All-Stars shortest start in seven years. He was no better against the As, his former team, allowing a baserunner in each of his first five innings and finishing his six innings with four walks. The Angels trail the Texas Rangers by eight games in the AL West, their largest deficit on May 14 since 2001 -- and Los Angeles disappointing season keeps getting uglier. Hunter left the team after his 17-year-old son, Darius, was arrested in Texas during an investigation of sexual assault of a child, a second-degree felony. Hunter was put on the restricted list, and Scioscia refused to speculate how long the Angels clubhouse leader will be absent. Smith also doubled and scored on Josh Donaldsons sacrifice fly for the As, who have won five of their last six road games and four straight at Angel Stadium. After throwing an impressive no-decision in this stadium last month, Ross (2-3) thoroughly enjoyed another short trip south, striking out two and only allowing a runner to reach third base in the fifth inning. He yielded 25 hits and 19 runs over just 13 innings in his past three starts, but he carved up the struggling Angels before three relievers contributed one scoreless inning apiece. "I dont know what it is," said Ross, who has given up just six runs over 25 2-3 innings at Angel Stadium in his career. "I feel comfortable on that mound, with the backdrop, everything. Im able to get on top of hitters and get some action early in the count." Kurt Suzuki drove in another run in Oaklands eighth win in 12 games overall. Reddick hit his ninth homer in the first inning, a no-doubt blast into the elevated stands in right. Smith hustled for a double in the fourth, advanced on a wild pitch and scored on Donaldsons lineout. Oakland loaded the bases with nobody out in the fifth, and Smith stroked a one-out double over Pujols head before Haren escaped the jam. Ross and his relievers didnt need any more help. "There are just ballparks you feel comfortable in," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. "Theres mounds and places where you have some success and feel good. Its not like this is the easiest lineup to navigate through ... and (Haren) is not an easy guy to hit." NOTES: Ervin Santana pitches Tuesday for the Angels on their four-game homestand before a 10-game road trip up to Memorial Day. Former Angels RHP Bartolo Colon starts for Oakland. ... Home plate umpire Tom Hallion was hit on the left arm by Kendrys Morales foul tip in the first inning. Hallion danced away from the plate in obvious pain, but stayed in the game after a few minutes of recovery. ... Oaklands Collin Cowgill stole second base while Jemile Weeks struck out in the third inning, but Hallion ordered him back to first after Weeks interfered with Angels C Bobby Wilson on the follow-through of his swing. Cowgill stole the base two pitches later. wholesale jerseys . Britton threw seven scoreless innings, Chris Davis hit a three-run homer and the Orioles snapped the Detroit Tigers four-game winning streak with a 3-2 victory on Saturday night. nfl holdjersey . The worst defensive game by the Pittsburgh Pirates in more than a quarter century gave the struggling Chicago Cubs pitcher all the help he needed. http://www.holdjersey.com/ . The Texans moved to 3-0 for the first time in franchise history by beating old nemesis Peyton Manning and the Broncos on Sunday. Houston is one of three unbeaten teams left, along with Arizona and Atlanta, heading into Sundays game against Tennessee (1-2) at Reliant Stadium. cheap jerseys . Instead, in the wake of a humiliating 8-1 defeat in Honduras, they find themselves forced to do yet another post-mortem on the mens soccer program. In the past, Canadian soccer has been used to one step forward, two steps back. nba holdjersey . -- Marc Trestman had it all mapped out, right up to the Chicago Bears championship parade. NEW YORK -- Jim Tracy wants his Colorado Rockies pitchers to take it to the limit. And his 75-pitch boundary for starters seems to be working of late. Tyler Chatwood combined with four relievers in a 1-0 victory over the New York Mets on Thursday, completing a four-game sweep and giving the last-place Rockies a five-game winning streak that tied their season high. "What we just did today is not easy to do. Its not easy to do -- sweep a four-game series on the road," Tracy said. Ever since the Rockies went to a four-man rotation in June, their starters have been on tight limits. The Colorado manager has kept the restraints in place even as the Rockies have gone back to a quintet of starters. Chatwood was pulled after allowing three hits over three innings. He needed 65 pitches to get nine outs. "I was getting close to the 75 pitches, so they made the decision," Chatwood said. "You always want to be economical. I think thats your job as a starting pitcher, to go as deep as you can in a game. And I think that 75 pitches kind of makes you go right after the guy." No Rockies starter has reached 100 pitches since Jeremy Guthrie threw 102 against Oakland on June 12, according to STATS LLC. Forget about complete games -- theyve gone the way of the Dodo bird in Colorado. The Rockies havent had one since Jhoulys Chacin in a 2-1 loss at Cincinnati on Aug. 11 last year. Tracy still was raving about Chacins six-inning, 73-pitch effort in Tuesdays 6-2 victory. "Fifty-one of the 73 were strikes," he said. "In my opinion, thats quality major league pitching. When you throw 80 pitches or you throw 75 pitches in three innings, or 78 pitches in three innings, and someones going to sit here from what Ive experienced in over 36 years and tell me that thats quality major league pitching, Ill strongly disagree with whoever is uttering it to me. I want our guys to understand what quality major league pitching is all about." On the other side, New Yorks Collin McHugh pitched two-hit ball over seven scoreless innings in a dazzling big league debut. After he left, the Rockies quickly went ahead against Bobby Parnell (2-3) as Jordany Valdespin misplayed Tyler Colvins leadoff drive in the eighth into a game-changing triple. Colvin hit Parnells second pitch to straightaway centre, where the rookie Valldespin took two steps in, then realized he had misjudged the drive.dddddddddddd He backpedaled a half-dozen steps and tried for a leaping, backhand grab, but the ball sailed over his glove. "I knew I hit it well, and I knew it had pretty good backspin on it," Colvin said. "It was going to be decided on how he read it, and he took a couple steps in. Chris Nelson fouled off a pair of 0-2 pitches, then singled to centre past the drawn-in infield. Brooklyn native Adam Ottovino and Rex Brothers (8-2) followed Chatwood with two innings each, and Willie Harris escaped a runner-on-second situation in the eighth. Matt Belisle got his first save since June 22, 2010, against Boston following some ninth-inning drama. Pinch-hitter Justin Turner singled leading off and was sacrificed to second by Valdespin. Daniel Murphy flied to centre and David Wright flied to right. Colorado also swept a four-game series at Citi Field from April 11-14 last year -- the Rockies longest road winning streak at one opponent in team history, STATS said. "I think were throwing the ball really well right now as a staff," Chatwood said. Punchless New York went 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position and was held to two runs or fewer for the sixth straight game. The Mets dropped to 11-28 since the All-Star break, which includes a 2-14 mark at Citi Field, and are 11 games under .500 for the first time since they finished 70-92 in 2009. "Its a nightmare for everybody in this clubhouse," catcher Josh Thole said. "When it happens once, OK. When it happens again, all right guys, youve got to move on. But three nights in a row. And then four. And then it keeps mounting up. You can only say weve got to put this behind us so many times," he said. NOTES: Rockies CF Dexter Fowler was on crutches, his ankle wrapped, after spraining it Wednesday night. Manager Jim Tracy said he wasnt available but the medical staff told him Fowler was day to day. ... The Rockies also won five in a row from May 28 to June 1. ... Gold medal-winning American gymnast Gabby Douglas threw out a ceremonial first pitch. It was a high, arching pitch from the front of the mound that was caught to the first-base side of the plate by pitcher Robert Carson. Having not bounced the ball, Douglas raised both arms in triumph. ' ' '