Angels are swept by the Twins, losing for the ninth time in 10 games
Austin Martin and Alex Kiriloff each drove in two runs as the Minnesota Twins stretched their winning streak to seven games Sunday with an 11-5 victory victory over the struggling Angels, completing a weekend sweep.
Ryan Jeffers, José Miranda, Christian Vázquez and Willi Castro each had three hits as Minnesota pounded out 17 hits while scoring at least five runs in its seventh consecutive game to move above .500 at 14-13.
“It feels good that we’re getting hits from the whole team,†Miranda said. “Things are starting to come our way. We’ve got a good stretch going, and we want to keep it rolling.â€
Angels starting pitcher Jose Soriano gives up four runs and three walks before being yanked in the second inning of the Angels’ 16-5 loss to the Twins.
Martin had a two-run single during a four-run fifth inning for the Twins, and Kiriloff had a pinch-hit two-run double in Minnesota’s four-run seventh. Eight starters got a hit — and the Twins did it all without a home run.
“The at-bats have been fantastic,†Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli said. “We’ve gone up there and improved as the game has gone on and made adjustments to the pitching. ... We got rolling. We put a bunch of runs on the board and didn’t stop.â€
Luis Rengifo and Nolan Schanuel homered and Jo Adell had an RBI double in the fifth for the Angels, who have lost four straight and nine of 10 after allowing 32 Minnesota runs in the three-game series.
Mike Trout had a late RBI single as the Angels committed three errors and fell to 3-9 at home this season, matching the second-worst start at Angel Stadium in franchise history.
Pablo López (2-2) dominated the Angels from the start, retiring their first 14 batters before Logan O’Hoppe’s two-out double in the fifth kicked off a four-run rally. López finished with a season-high eight strikeouts.
“It was a good start to the game, and then that inning, things just started unraveling,†López said. “I feel like I was better at some of the bad things that had been going on the last couple of starts, falling behind a lot, so I think I did get better. Now it’s just a matter of how to avoid those crooked numbers.â€
Reid Detmers (3-2) wasn’t sharp on his second turn through the Twins’ lineup, yielding five runs on nine hits over five-plus innings. The left-hander gave up only three earned runs in his first four starts this season before allowing nine in his next two.
Both starters opened with three perfect innings. The Angels were down 5-0 when O’Hoppe finally ended López’s perfect game bid, and Rengifo hit his first homer of the season before Schanuel made it 5-4 with a homer that extended his hitting streak to 10 games.
But Angels reliever Luis GarcÃa had a dismal seventh inning, allowing four runs on three hits and two walks. Kiriloff delivered a bases-loaded double before Carlos Santana and Castro drove in runs.
The Angels haven’t made the postseason since 2014. It’s time for them to finally do something about that.
Angels reliever Zac Kristofak allowed two unearned runs over the final two innings in his major league debut.
Injury update: Angels pitcher José Cisnero went on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation. The Angels selected the contract of the 26-year-old Kristofak and designated pitcher Jimmy Herget for assignment to make room.
Up next for the Angels: Griffin Canning (1-3, 7.50 ERA) attempts to build on consecutive solid starts when he takes the mound Monday at Angel Stadium in the series opener against the Philadelphia Phillies.
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