LDN - Sports

Cron leads Angels over Twins

[June 16, 2016] ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Hector Santiago was on the staff of the American League All-Star team last July, but his place in the Los Angeles Angels' starting rotation was tenuous when he took the mound Wednesday night against the Minnesota Twins.

Tim Lincecum is set to join the Angels' rotation this weekend and Nick Tropeano, a unexpected surprise this season, could soon return from a sore shoulder. That made Santiago's start that much more important, considering his recent struggles.

But Santiago didn't miss his opportunity to turn things around against a hapless Twins team, giving up just one run and two hits in six innings of the Angels' 10-2 victory.

C.J. Cron had three hits, three RBIs and two runs scored to lead a big night at the plate for the Angels offense, which turned out to be overkill on a night Santiago was on his game.

The Angels' lefty was perfect through the first three innings and gave up just the one run on an RBI single by Kurt Suzuki, the inning set up by Santiago's only two walks of the game.

Just getting through those first three innings was key for Santiago, considering he failed to last even three innings in three of his previous five starts, a stretch during which he compiled an ERA of 12.18 (23 ER, 17 IP).

"If the struggles that he's had the last five starts make him a better pitcher, then they're worth it," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "If it doesn't and it takes him the wrong way, it's a shame. I think he made some adjustments and had a good frame of mind tonight. He went out there and did what he was trying to do and got some big outs."

Santiago (4-4) said he indeed learned from his recent rough stretch.

"My previous five starts I was inconsistent in the zone," Santiago said. "I would walk guys, put myself in bad counts, 2-0, 3-1 and I kept having to battle back. Guys were comfortable up there. Tonight I felt I had the pressure on them. I was throwing strike-one, strike-two and putting pressure on them to hit pitches in the zone and not chase anything. Tonight, they were chasing a bunch of stuff off the plate, they had a lot of soft contact."

Scioscia, though, downplayed the idea that Wednesday's start for Santiago was make or break, saying he didn't want to put that kind of pressure on any of his pitchers.

"I think we're a little further way from making some of those kinds of decisions you guys have been talking about," Scioscia said. "When it comes obviously we'll look at a lot of different things. I don't think with any of those guys in the rotation we're going to say it's do-or-die, I don't know if you're going to pitch your best game in those situations.

"But the reality of baseball is everybody in baseball is evaluated every time you go out there and perform and hopefully we'll see some outings like Hector had tonight. That's going to make us a better team."

The win was the second in a row for the Angels, marking the first time they've won consecutive games since they beat Detroit May 30 and 31.

For the Twins, it was business as usual. They have lost 11 of their last 16 and at 20-45, have the worst record in the American League.

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Angels first baseman C.J. Cron (24) hits a single against the Minnesota Twins during the fourth inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Cron had plenty of help as the Angels had 12 hits in all, including two each from Albert Pujols and Andrelton Simmons. The Angels essentially put the game away with a five-run fifth inning, knocking out Twins starter Tyler Duffey (2-6) in the process. Duffey gave up six runs (four earned) on six hits in 4 1/3 innings.

"First time through (the lineup) was good," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "(But) he's pitching with a lot of emotion out there. Sometimes it works for him, sometimes against him. It seems like those middle innings he starts, you can see the emotion building. I think he needs to learn how to use it positively instead of negatively. You got to compete in control even though you're competing at such a high level, and I think sometimes that works against him."

Duffey also didn't get a lot of help from his defense. Shortstop Eduardo Nunez made an error that led to two unearned runs in the fourth inning.

Then during the Angels' five-run fifth, the Angels had already scored two runs when right fielder Max Kepler overran Jett Bandy's fly ball near the right field line. Instead of being the third out of the inning, two runs scored on the play, and another scored later in the inning, making the game 7-1 instead of 4-1.

"Just a young kid being a little over-aggressive, maybe not reading the ball particularly well when you overrun a play like that," Molitor said. "He's a good defender for the most part but obviously that's a play that needs to be made."

NOTES: Angels SS Andrelton Simmons was activated from the disabled list and in the starting lineup after being out since May 9 with a torn ligament in his left thumb. To make room on the roster for Simmons, SS Brendan Ryan was designated for assignment. ... Twins' starting pitchers entered the game with a 5.58 ERA, the worst in the majors. ... The first-inning single by Angels 1B Albert Pujols Tuesday was his 2,722nd career hit, moving him past Lou Gehrig and into 61st place on the all-time list. ... Twins CF Byron Buxton threw out Angels CF Mike Trout trying to score from second on a single to center in Tuesday's game, the throw timed at 99.4 miles per hour.

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