ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Austin Martin and Alex Kiriloff drove in two runs apiece, and the Minnesota Twins stretched winning streak to seven games while completing a weekend sweep of the struggling Los Angeles Angels with an 11-5 victory Sunday.
Ryan Jeffers, José Miranda, Christian Vázquez and Willi Castro had three hits apiece as Minnesota pounded out 17 hits while scoring at least five runs in its seventh consecutive game and moving back above .500 for the season 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.”
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 homer, too.
“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.”
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 Los Angeles committed three errors and fell to 3-9 at home this season, matching the second-worst start at the Big A in franchise history.
Pablo López (2-2) dominated the Angels from the start, retiring their first 14 batters in order 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.”
Reid Detmers (3-2) wasn’t sharp on his second turn through the Twins’ lineup, eventually 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.
After both starters opened with three perfect innings apiece. 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 García 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.
Los Angeles reliever Zac Kristofak allowed two unearned runs over the final two innings in his major league debut.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Twins: RHP Jhoan Duran is nearing his return from a right oblique strain, but might need one more rehab appearance at Triple-A St. Paul, manager Rocco Baldelli said. Duran has been out since spring training.
Angels: RHP José Cisnero went on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation. Los Angeles selected the contract of the 26-year-old Kristofak and designated LHP Jimmy Herget for assignment to make room.
UP NEXT
Twins: Joe Ryan (1-1, 3.45 ERA) is expected to take the mound Monday on the South Side when Minnesota begins its second series in two weeks with the White Sox.
Angels: Griffin Canning (1-3, 7.50 ERA) attempts to build on two straight solid starts when he takes the mound Monday at the Big A in the series opener against the Philadelphia Phillies.