Jack Kochanowicz has off night as Angels lose to Twins

MINNEAPOLIS â€”  Matt Wallner homered for the second straight game, Brooks Lee snapped an 0-for-19 slump with a go-ahead, two-run double and the Minnesota Twins beat the Angels 6-4 on Wednesday night.

Royce Lewis nearly had his sixth career grand slam for Minnesota in the seventh inning as his drive to left field initially was called a home run, but a review showed that the ball hit the top of the wall and back into play for a two-run double.

Wallner’s 13th homer into the bullpens in left-center tied it after the Angels’ Taylor Ward led off the game with his 23rd homer. Willi Castro had an RBI single to snap an 0-for-16 skid during a three-run fourth inning for Minnesota.

“I think we feel good,� Wallner said. “Guys getting hits and just continuous hits, driving guys in, in scoring position, is huge for us.�

The Twins have back-to-back wins after losing six of their previous seven games. They remain six games behind Cleveland in the American League Central. Minnesota is three ahead of Detroit for the final AL wild-card spot.

“We got some really nice swings,� Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli said. “You could feel the offense kind of brewing there. ... You could feel the guys, the good energy, the good at-bats that they gave us. They were really locked in and doing their part in a nice way.�

Nolan Schanuel had his 13th homer among three hits, and Jordyn Adams added his first career homer for the Angels, who have lost four of five.

“It felt good,� Adams said. “I was going up to the plate looking for something hard and obviously I got it. And I just tried not to miss it. I was fouling them back my previous two at-bats and that was my main focus. Just get it in play.�

Rookie starter Jack Kochanowicz (2-5) gave up four runs in 5-2/3 innings for the Angels. He entered the game with five consecutive quality starts since being recalled Aug. 10 for his third stint in the majors.

“I felt good, but I need to be better with the breaking balls as usual,� Kochanowicz said. “But they were just on the sinker. But then when I hit my spots and I did that little later on, I started using four-seamer to get them off of it.�

Minnesota rookie Zebby Matthews started and gave up two runs in just 3-1/3 innings. Cole Sands (7-1) pitched two-thirds of an inning in relief.

Jhoan Duran surrendered three hits in the ninth, including an RBI single by Schanuel, but secured his 23rd save.

Angels infielder Brandon Drury left the game in the fifth inning because of left hamstring tightness.