Trevor Larnach homered and drove in two runs, Taj Bradley delivered another strong start and the Minnesota Twins defeated the Los Angeles Angels 4-2 on Sunday to close the first half of the season with another series victory.
The Twins won their fifth consecutive series and have captured eight of their last nine series heading into the All-Star break. Bradley limited the Angels over seven innings before Andrew Morris finished the game with two scoreless frames to earn the save.
Los Angeles received solo home runs from Josh Lowe and Denzer Guzman but could not generate enough offense to overcome Minnesota’s productive third inning.
Angels Strike First
The Angels grabbed an early lead in the second inning.
Josh Lowe connected for his eighth home run of the season, sending a solo shot over the fence to put Los Angeles ahead 1-0.
The early advantage did not last long, however, as the Twins answered in the bottom of the third with their most productive inning of the afternoon.
José Soriano kept Minnesota quiet through the opening two innings but ran into trouble when the Twins began stringing together quality at-bats.
Twins Rally In Third
Minnesota erased the deficit with a timely sequence of hits.
Luke Keaschall came around to score when Trevor Larnach lined a single that tied the game at 1-1.
Ryan Jeffers followed with the biggest hit of the inning, driving a double into the gap that scored both Ryan Kreidler and Larnach. The two-run hit gave the Twins a 3-1 advantage and supplied all the offense Bradley would need.
Soriano completed five innings but absorbed the loss after allowing three earned runs on five hits. The right-hander walked two and could not recover from Minnesota’s decisive third-inning rally.
Bradley Controls The Game
Bradley continued his strong season with another effective outing.
The right-hander worked seven innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits while striking out six and walking two. He consistently worked ahead in the count and prevented the Angels from building sustained rallies after Lowe’s early homer.
The Angels trimmed the deficit in the seventh when Denzer Guzman hit his fourth home run of the season, a solo blast that brought Los Angeles within one run.
Bradley finished the inning without further damage, completing another quality start before handing the ball to the bullpen.
Larnach Adds Insurance
Minnesota created some breathing room in the eighth inning.
Larnach, already responsible for tying the game earlier, added an insurance run by launching a 405-foot solo home run to right field. His seventh homer of the season extended the Twins’ lead to 4-2 and gave the club an important cushion entering the ninth.
The home run capped another productive afternoon for Larnach, who finished with two RBIs and played a central role in Minnesota’s offense.
Morris Finishes The Job
Andrew Morris took over after Bradley’s seven strong innings and closed the door on the Angels.
The right-hander struck out two while pitching the final two innings without allowing a run, collecting his third save of the season.
Minnesota’s pitching staff limited Los Angeles to six hits and prevented any late comeback attempt, helping the Twins carry their recent momentum into the All-Star break.
The victory continued an impressive run for Minnesota, which has consistently won series over the past several weeks and positioned itself well entering the second half of the season.
The Angels, meanwhile, were limited to solo home runs from Lowe and Guzman and could not overcome the three-run swing created by Minnesota’s third-inning rally.
Up Next
Following the All-Star break, the Angels return home to open a three-game series against the Detroit Tigers on Friday.
The Twins will begin the second half on the road with a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs, also starting Friday.
