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 The Minnesota Twins dug out of four different deficits against
the Los Angeles Angels but could not do it a fifth, as the Angels
defeated the Twins 7-6 in 10 innings.
Erick Aybar's sacrifice fly with one out in the 10th inning knocked
in the winning run. With the bases loaded and the game tied at 6-6,
Aybar, the Angels' shortstop, lifted an off-speed pitch from Twins
right-hander Jared Burton just deep enough into right field to score
Angels right fielder Kole Calhoun from third base.
"Erick did a great job of fouling off a fastball just before that to
stay alive," said Angels manager Mike Scioscia. "We had a lot of
confidence that he was going to put the ball in play. He did and
Kole got a great jump to beat the throw. Good base running, and good
job by Erick just to get that ball in play."
The run salvaged a win for the Angels after they blew a two-run lead
in the bottom of the ninth when Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe
hit a two-run double off the wall in left field, inches in front of
the outstretched glove of center fielder Mike Trout, tying the game
at 6-6 against Angels closer Huston Street.
"First step, I kind of slipped a little bit," Trout said. "But yeah,
I thought I had a chance. But we won, so it's all good."
Only 24 hours after failing in nearly an identical situation in a
6-5 loss on Thursday, the Twins came through in the ninth. It just
wasn't enough."
"Losing any ballgame is frustrating, but again, we showed
resiliency," Plouffe said. "Came back there in the ninth. The cards
just didn't fall our way tonight."
The blown save was only Street's second since joining the team in
mid-July. But he finished the inning and, thanks to Aybar's fly,
earned the victory, improving to 2-1 on the season, and 1-1 since
coming over from San Diego.
Right-hander Kevin Jepsen earned the save with a scoreless 10th
inning, his second save of the season, after the Angels emptied the
bullpen to get to him. Los Angeles used eight pitchers in all, while
Minnesota used nine in a game that lasted 4 hours, 30 minutes.
Burton took the loss, allowing a leadoff single to Calhoun in front
of a pair of walks -- one intentional -- before Aybar knocked in his
60th run of the year on the sacrifice fly.
With the Angels trailing by one heading to the eighth, designated
hitter Brennan Boesch reached base on an infield single and advanced
to second on a passed ball. A walk and a sacrifice bunt moved both
runners into scoring position ahead of Calhoun, who drove a 3-1
fastball from Twins lefty Brian Duensing the opposite way into the
gap in left-center, scoring both runners and turning a 4-3 Twins
lead into a 5-4 edge for Los Angeles.
Trout followed with an RBI double off the wall in right field to
make it 6-4.
"Every time we scored a run, they were coming right back and
answering us," Calhoun said. "It was tough. It's nice to squeak that
one out and get a 'W.'"
Both teams scored single runs in the first, second and fourth
innings, keeping the game close in the early going.
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Calhoun led off the game with a triple, and first baseman Albert
Pujols drove him in with a sharp ground ball that was misplayed by
Plouffe. Plouffe was charged with an error, but Pujols got the RBI
and a 1-0 lead.
After Twins designated hitter Kennys Vargas tied the score with a
sacrifice fly, Angels catcher Chris Iannetta drove in a run with a
single in the second inning.
Minnesota right fielder Oswaldo Arcia blasted a solo home run in the
bottom half of the second to tie the score at 2.
Trout's RBI single in the fourth inning drove in another Angels run
before Twins center fielder Aaron Hicks' single in the bottom of the
inning made it 3-3.
Minnesota led once following another RBI single by Hicks in the sixth
inning, giving Minnesota a 4-3 lead.
"We had a few big hits as the game went along," said Twins manager Ron
Gardenhire. "We got the lead, gave it back. Unfortunately, we couldn't
get another one and they did."
Angels starter Matt Shoemaker, who entered with a scoreless-innings
streak of 23 1/3 innings, lasted only four innings, allowing three
earned runs, six hits and three walks while striking out two.
Twins right-hander Ricky Nolasco lasted five innings and allowed three
runs -- two earned -- on eight hits and a walk, fanning five.
NOTES: Angels LHP Joe Thatcher, out since early August with a sprained
left ankle, will pitch in a minor league playoff game on Sunday. The
exact affiliate has not yet been decided. ... Angels general manager
Jerry DiPoto had his contract option for the 2015 season picked up by
the organization on Friday. ... Angels OF Josh Hamilton has a sore A/C
joint in his right shoulder, an injury sustained Monday and aggravated
Thursday. He received a cortisone injection after the game Thursday and
is considered day to day. He was not in the lineup Friday. ... Twins
closer Glen Perkins is day-to-day with what manager Ron Gardenhire
classified as a neck injury. No further details were given, but he was
unavailable Friday. ... Twins OF Jordan Schafer bruised his ribs
crashing into the wall making a catch in the ninth inning Friday.
Schafer went on deck after the catch but was unable to swing a bat.
Gardenhire also classified him as day-to-day.
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