ANAHEIM — For those who might have hoped visa problems prevented the "real" Ervin Santana from showing up this season until last Friday in Boston, Thursday night's game provided a reality check.

Santana was back to his inconsistent ways, cruising through three innings then running into trouble and coughing up a three-run lead as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Angels, 5-4, at Angel Stadium.

Coupled with the Seattle Mariners' victory in Texas, the Angels' lead in the AL West is down to one game.

The Angels have had sole possession of first place in their division since May 9, but could lose that grip tonight when they face Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay, who threw a five-hitter against the Angels in Toronto last week.

"It just didn't look like Ervin had the same stuff, and they took advantage of it," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "Three runs with two outs (in the decisive fifth inning) — you have to finish innings off.

"Ervin didn't quite look the same (as he did in Boston). He battled and made some good pitches, but he just didn't have the same life on the ball."

Santana said he felt "about the same" Thursday as he did in Boston last week when he retired the first 13 batters in order and took a two-hit shutout into the seventh inning.

"My confidence was as high as it has been in a long time," he said through an interpreter.

His stuff wasn't as good, Scioscia said. Santana did retire nine of the first 10 batters he faced and was staked to a 3-0 lead by a two-run first inning for the Angels and the first of Vladimir Guerrero's two solo home runs.

But Santana ran into trouble when he tried to get through the Blue Jays lineup a second time.

"He got through their lineup the first time but the ball wasn't coming out of his hand with the same life he had in Boston," Scioscia said.

Santana walked the first batter in the fourth then gave up an RBI double to Vernon Wells two batters later. Wells moved to third on a poor relay throw by second baseman Howie Kendrick, the first of two errors in the game by the Angels, and scored on an infield single by Frank Thomas.

Santana got out of that inning and retired the first two batters in the fifth. But then he gave up four consecutive hits.

After a single by Reed Johnson, a double by Lyle Overbay and a two-run double by Matt Stairs, Santana threw a wild pitch that allowed Stairs to go to third and score on a wild throw by catcher Ryan Budde.

"It was that they adjusted against me more than I adjusted to them (the second time through the lineup)," Santana said. "I can't let that bother me, the fact that I couldn't get that last out (in the fifth).

"I wanted to get that out, but when I didn't I had to put that behind me and focus on the next batter. That's what I've been trying to focus on since I came back (from the minors)."

The damage was done by then. Angels relievers Darren Oliver and Dustin Moseley combined to shut out the Blue Jays over the final three innings but the Angels offense all but disappeared after Orlando Cabrera struck out with the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth.

They had just two more hits and got just one runner past first base after the fourth inning — Guerrero who hit his second homer of the night in the eighth. They were Guerrero's first home runs at Angel Stadium since June 23.