Vaughn Grissom hit a home run and drove in two runs as the Los Angeles Angels held off the Minnesota Twins for a 4-3 win on Friday night, ending a five-game losing streak at Target Field.
Grayson Rodriguez earned the win after delivering 5 1/3 innings, while the Angels’ bullpen protected a late one-run lead. Kirby Yates closed the door with a scoreless ninth inning to record his third save of the season.
The victory gave Los Angeles a much-needed boost after dropping eight of its previous 10 games. Despite the win, the Angels remain at the bottom of the major league standings.
Grissom Sparks Angels Offense
Minnesota struck first when Trevor Larnach led off the bottom of the first with a double and later scored on Kody Clemens’ sacrifice fly.
The Angels answered in the fourth behind Grissom.
Grissom jumped on the first pitch of the inning from Twins starter Zebby Matthews and sent it over the left-field wall for a game-tying solo home run. It was his second hit of the night and continued his productive stretch at the plate.
Jorge Soler followed with a double and eventually scored on a balk by Matthews, giving Los Angeles a 2-1 lead without another hit.
The Angels added to their advantage in the fifth.
Wade Meckler opened the inning with one of four consecutive singles by Los Angeles. Nolan Schanuel’s base hit drove in Meckler, extending the lead to 3-1. Grissom then lifted a sacrifice fly to center field that brought home another run and pushed the Angels ahead 4-1.
Meckler and Tyler Heineman each collected two hits as Los Angeles finished with nine hits and consistently applied pressure against Matthews.
Rodriguez Delivers Solid Start
Rodriguez provided the Angels with a steady outing despite facing pressure throughout the game.
The right-hander allowed three runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings to improve to 3-2 on the season. He kept Minnesota’s offense under control through the middle innings before the Twins mounted a comeback in the sixth.
Matthews matched Rodriguez through six innings but absorbed the loss after surrendering four runs on nine hits.
Twins Rally Falls Short
Minnesota cut into the deficit in the sixth inning.
Brooks Lee delivered an RBI double before pinch-hitter Austin Martin added a run-scoring groundout to trim the Angels’ lead to 4-3.
The Twins threatened again in the seventh.
Larnach worked a one-out walk and advanced to third when Ryan Jeffers doubled into scoring position. With the tying run only 90 feet away, Angels reliever Samy Natera Jr. escaped the jam by retiring Clemens and Josh Bell to preserve the one-run lead.
That sequence proved to be one of the game’s defining moments.
Lee and Bell each finished with two hits, including doubles, but Minnesota could not find the timely hit needed to complete the comeback.
Bullpen Finishes The Job
After Rodriguez departed, the Angels relied on their bullpen to protect the narrow lead.
Natera’s escape in the seventh kept the Twins from evening the score, setting the stage for the late innings.
Kirby Yates handled the ninth with a scoreless frame, earning his third save of the season and securing the Angels’ first win of the series.
The victory also halted Los Angeles’ five-game losing streak at Target Field, where the club had struggled in recent seasons.
Minnesota entered the matchup having dominated the recent series, posting a 10-4 record against the Angels since September 2023 while outscoring Los Angeles by a wide margin.
The Angels overcame that trend with timely hitting and enough pitching to withstand Minnesota’s late push.
Up Next
The three-game series continues Saturday when Angels rookie right-hander Ryan Johnson, who is 1-4 with a 6.99 ERA, faces Twins right-hander Joe Ryan, who enters with a 6-5 record and a 2.85 ERA.
