AL SCHOCH
Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — When Minnesota Twins manager Ron Gardenhire dragged himself into his office at Target Field following a dismal 14-4 loss to the Angels, he made sure to switch his flat-screen television from an NFL game to a golf tournament.
“I’m not watching football, in case you’re wondering. I’ve seen enough hitting today,” Gardenhire said with a grimace after Los Angeles banged out a season-high 19 hits Sunday.
Three of those hits were home runs, one of them a 433-foot shot to center field by Howie Kendrick off Twins starter Logan Darnell, who also gave up Mike Trout’s 32nd homer of the season.
“Kendrick … hit a good curveball out. Got behind on Trout and hung a changeup,” Darnell said. “They made me pay for it.”
The Angels completed their fifth four-game sweep this season, extending a franchise record. They also became the seventh team to sweep a season series against Minnesota, winning all seven matchups this year.
“We kept trying to get through a ballgame with those young kids out there and see what they can do,” Gardenhire said. “They just pretty much beat the ball all over the place.”
It was the first time the Angels swept a four-game series in Minnesota since July 1964 at old Met Stadium. The team was still called the Los Angeles Angels then, adopting California as its name the following season before switching back to Los Angeles in 2005.
C.J. Wilson (11-9) recovered from a slow start after walking three batters in the second. All three came around to score, giving the Twins a 3-1 lead. But after that, Wilson retired 13 of his next 14 batters, and the Angels scored the next 13 runs.
Kendrick had three hits and four RBIs, and C.J. Cron also homered for the AL West leaders.
Trout hit his two-run homer in the third off Darnell (0-2). Kendrick had a two-run triple in the fifth, and Cron launched a two-run shot off reliever A.J. Achter in a six-run sixth. Chris Iannetta’s two-run single made it 12-3.
The Angels added a pair of runs off reliever Ryan Pressly in the seventh on RBI singles by Shawn O’Malley and Kendrick. O’Malley’s hit came in his first major league appearance.
Kennys Vargas hit a 451-foot homer in the eighth off Los Angeles reliever Vinnie Pestano to make it 14-4.
Wade LeBlanc pitched a scoreless ninth for the Angels.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Angels: LF Josh Hamilton (shoulder) was a late scratch and missed his third straight game since leaving Thursday night’s game. Hamilton was supposed to bat cleanup, but was pulled about an hour before the first pitch, forcing manager Mike Scioscia to reshuffle his lineup.
Twins: CF Jordan Schafer (bruised ribs) felt better after taking some practice swings and was available off the bench. Minnesota closer Glen Perkins (neck) and SS Danny Santana (back) are still day to day. Gardenhire said the team doesn’t expect Santana to miss too many games after straining his lower back while throwing home on Saturday night.
UP NEXT
The Twins have Monday off before heading to Cleveland for a three-game series. RHP Trevor May (1-4) faces Indians righty Trevor Bauer (5-7).
TWO-FER
For the third straight game, Twins center fielder Aaron Hicks drove in two runs. He did it with a bases-loaded double just inside the third-base line in the second inning to give Minnesota a 3-1 lead. He had a pair of RBI singles Friday and a two-run single Saturday.
Hicks, who has struggled every time he’s been called up to the majors, figures to get plenty of playing time for now with Santana nursing his back injury.
FROM HOT TO COLD
If Joe Mauer couldn’t get a hit off the Angels, it’s no wonder the Twins couldn’t win.
Mauer had a nine-game hitting streak against Los Angeles stopped with a pair of strikeouts and a groundout. In those nine previous games against the Angels, Mauer batted .553 with five doubles, a home run, nine RBIs and a .605 on-base percentage. By going hitless on Sunday, Mauer let his career batting average against the Angels drop to .355.
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