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 The Angels pounded out a season-high 19 hits and broke open a tie
game in the middle innings, scoring nine runs in the fifth and sixth
frames en route to a 14-4 win over the Twins Sunday at Target Field.
The victory capped a four-game series sweep for the Angels over the
Twins and gave Los Angeles a 7-0 record against Minnesota this
season. It was the fifth time this season the Angels have finished a
four-game series sweep.
"It's not easy to do," said Angels skipper Mike Scioscia. "Four-game
series are tough, especially on the road. It's a grind, it's tough
to win them and it's really tough to sweep them. We've hit some
teams when we've been playing good baseball and been able to keep
some things rolling."
Shortstop Erick Aybar's sacrifice fly with one out in the fifth
inning opened the floodgates and gave the Angels the lead. Second
baseman Howie Kendrick followed with a two-run triple before the
Angels broke the game open with a six-run sixth.
First baseman C.J. Cron belted a two-run homer and Aybar scored on a
wild pitch to make the score 9-3. Designated hitter Albert Pujols
added an RBI double and catcher Chris Iannetta singled in two more
to make it 12-3 through six.
"The bats picked us up this whole series," Scioscia said. "It's good
to see the guys get in a groove. The offense took a lot of pressure
off, especially our bullpen."
Kendrick added another RBI single in the seventh, as did pinch
hitter Shawn O'Malley, who got credit for a hit and an RBI with an
infield single in his first major league at-bat.
"They kept swinging and the ball kept flying," Twins manager Ron
Gardenhire said. "It was just one of those days. We're trying to get
through a ball game with those young kids out there and see what
they can do; a rough day."
For Kendrick, he finished the day a double short of the cycle -- the
second time in the series he finished only one hit shy of reaching
it. He tripled for the second straight game, the first time in his
career he's done that. Overall, he went 10-for-18 with two doubles,
two triples, a homer and eight RBIs this weekend.
"I've been hitting the ball good the whole second half," Kendrick
said. "Whether it's right at somebody or not, I've felt good. It
just feels good to actually see some balls fall in."
Angels left-hander C.J. Wilson almost didn't survive the second
after allowing three straight walks to start the inning, followed by
a two-run double by center fielder Aaron Hicks and a sacrifice fly
by second baseman Brian Dozier, giving the Twins a 3-1 lead.
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But Wilson settled in after that, retiring 14 of the next 15 batters he
faced -- allowing only one more walk and an infield single the rest of
the way -- before being removed in the seventh inning. Wilson allowed
three runs on four hits and four walks. He fanned six and improved to
11-9.
"I didn't really make a drastic change or anything like that [after the
second inning]," Wilson said. "It was just knowing that after we scored,
we got those runs back, I felt like, 'OK, we're going to score runs
today.' Yeah, I gave up three, but we're gonna score and I had that
confidence of throwing it where I know they weren't going to hurt me. I
could keep it out of their individual sweet spots."
Twins lefty Logan Darnell got the start in place of Tommy Milone, whose
turn in the rotation was skipped after he reported dead arm symptoms
earlier in the week. Darnell allowed five runs on five hits and a walk
in 4 1/3 innings of work, dropping to 0-2.
"They're swinging the bat well the last couple days," Darnell said.
"They're very aggressive, which is good for them. You don't want to make
a mistake to anybody, but they seemed to make me pay for the ones I made
today."
Darnell served up early home runs to Kendrick in the second and a
two-run shot in the third to Mike Trout, tying the game at 3 apiece.
NOTES: Twins LHP Glen Perkins remains day-to-day with a sore neck. MRI
results Saturday revealed no structural damage or pinched nerves. ...
Twins OF Jordan Schafer was available Sunday after bruising his ribs
making a catch against the wall on Friday. ... Twins OF/SS Danny Santana
did not play after straining his back making a throw from center field
in the game Saturday. ... Angels OF Josh Hamilton was originally in the
lineup Sunday but was scratched late. He had a cortisone injection in
his sore right shoulder on Friday.
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