MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Reid Detmers worked six solid innings and Brandon Drury and Niko Kavadas homered to lead the Los Angeles Angels to a 6-2 victory over the struggling Minnesota Twins on Monday night.
Detmers (4-6) was making his second straight quality start after spending three months at Triple-A Salt Lake. The 25-year-old left-hander allowed five hits and struck out eight — including the last three batters he face — for his first win since May 20 against Houston after starting the season 3-0. He allowed three hits and struck out 10 in six innings in a no-decision against the Los Angeles Dodgers last Tuesday in his first appearance since June 1 after being demoted to the minors after months of inconsistency.
Drury hit his fourth homer of the season, a two-run shot, in the the third inning and Kavadas added another two-run homer, his third, in the sixth.
Kyle Farmer homered for the Twins, who struck out 12 times and lost their fourth straight game. Minnesota has scored just 13 runs in losing six of its last seven games. The Twins are 6-15 in their last 21 games, yet remain third in the American League wild-card standings, three games ahead of idle Detroit and Seattle.
David Festa (2-6) allowed a two-run single to Nolan Schanuel in the first and a 459-foot home run to Drury in the third inning as the Angels took a 4-0 lead. Festa was lifted after four innings.
Carlos Santana had an RBI single in the third for Minnesota and Farmer homered in the fourth before Kavadas lined a home run to right field off Ronny Henriquez in the sixth to stretch the Angels’ lead to 6-2.
José Suarez, recalled Monday from Triple-A Salt Lake City, threw three hitless innings for this first career save. Since June 17, Los Angeles relievers lead the majors with a 2.62 ERA.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Angels: 3B Anthony Rendon (back soreness) missed his second straight game as a precaution. He’s expected to return Tuesday. … OF Jo Adell (left oblique strain) was moved to 60-day injured list.
Twins: SS Carlos Correa, out since July 12 with right plantar fasciitis said a new treatment is working and expressed optimism he’ll be back soon. … CF Byron Buxton took defensive drills Monday as he attempts to get his hip pain to the point where he can play through it. … CF Willi Castro left the game due to illness. … C Christian Vázquez was placed on the paternity list and C Jair Camargo was recalled from Triple-A St. Paul.
UP NEXT
Los Angeles plans to start RHP Griffin Canning (5-12, 5.02) Tuesday in the second game of this three-game set. RHP Pablo López (14-8, 4.05) is the scheduled Minnesota starter.
