ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- Kent Bottenfield looked every bit the 18-game winner the Angels obtained along with infielder Adam Kennedy in the deal that sent Jim Edmonds to St. Louis in March.

Bottenfield held the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to two runs on five hits in the Angels' 5-2 victory Sunday, with his only miscue a hanging curve that Vinny Castilla hit for a two-run homer in the seventh.

Bottenfield (2-3) struck out nine in seven innings, including Gerald Williams and Greg Vaughn all three times he faced them.

Meanwhile, Anaheim's Darin Erstad got his 47th and 48th hits of the month, a major league record for April.

Anaheim manager Mike Scioscia was duly impressed by both the pitcher and the leadoff hitter.

"Kent was real strong. He's everything we had heard about," Scioscia said. "He's a guy who can get you deep into games, and if we can support him at the plate and in the field, he's going to put up numbers like he had last year."

Scioscia said of Erstad: "You can't ask a guy to do any more than he's doing for us. He's doing everything you could ask of an All-Star, and more."

Erstad, who singled twice and drove in a run, eclipsed the record of 47 hits in April, set by Colorado's Dante Bichette in 1998. There apparently is no record listed for most hits in any month.

"This part is great, but there is still a lot of baseball left," Erstad said. "The only thing I actually dreamed about growing up was getting the game-winning hit in the World Series. That's what you play for in the back yard, not to get some records."

Troy Percival pitched the ninth for his sixth save.

Mo Vaughn, Tim Salmon and Orlando Palmeiro each had RBI singles off Steve Trachsel (1-2) in the opening inning as the Angels moved in front to stay.

Troy Glaus hit a solo homer off Trachsel in the fourth, his seventh. Erstad's RBI single made it 5-0 in the sixth.

Trachsel also struck out nine, equaling his career high, in seven innings. He gave up five runs and nine hits.

He settled down after a rocky start, giving up four consecutive singles to the Angels their first time up. The first three batters, Erstad, Adam Kennedy and Vaughn, all scored.

"They hit some good pitches into good spots," Trachsel said. "I felt I was making quality pitches, if not great. Give them credit.

"After that inning, I felt I threw the ball very well."

Trachsel had not faced the Angels previously, and Bottenfield had not pitched against the Devil Rays.

Game notes
Anaheim right-hander Jason Dickson, 2-2 with a 4.73 ERA in five starts this season, was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained muscle in his left hip. Dickson left his last start, Friday against Tampa Bay, in the second inning because of pain in his hip. The Angels are purchasing the contract of right-hander Eric Weaver from Triple-A Edmonton. Anaheim also sent RHP Lou Pote to Triple-A Edmonton and recalled LHP Mike Holtz. ...The Devil Rays placed RHP Jim Mecir on the 15-day DL with tightness in his right biceps muscle and recalled RHP Bryan Rekar from Triple-A Durham. ... Trachsel graduated from Troy High in Fullerton, just minutes from Anaheim Stadium and, as a free agent last winter, expressed a desire to join the Angels.