After combining for three runs and seven hits in back-to-back losses, the Minnesota Twins finally broke out offensively in an 8-4 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night in Minneapolis.
Gary Sanchez hit a three-run homer deep into the second deck in left field and Jose Miranda and Gio Urshela each had three hits as Minnesota (74-78) snapped a five-game losing streak. The eight runs were the most scored in a game by the Twins since they posted a 10-5 win over Boston on Aug. 30.
"It was a good win," Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli said. "We went out there and scored a bunch of runs. We had a lot of good at-bats. I think the approach was good. ... A lot of guys had good efforts for us on the offensive side."
The Twins will turn to right-hander Dylan Bundy (8-7, 4.78 ERA) in Sunday's rubber match of the three-game series. Los Angeles (66-86) will counter with left-hander Jose Suarez (6-8, 4.11).
Bundy went 2-9 with a 6.06 ERA over an injury-plagued 2021 with the Angels.
He is 1-2 with a 5.86 ERA in six career appearances (five starts) vs. Los Angeles. However, he pitched well in his only outing against the Angels this season on Aug. 13, when he allowed two hits over five scoreless innings in a contest the Angels won 5-3 in 11 innings.
Suarez notched a 4.50 ERA and did not record a decision in one career appearance against the Twins.
He comes in off a 9-1 loss to Seattle on Monday afternoon after he allowed five runs, including a grand slam to Carlos Santana, on seven hits over five innings. He hadn't allowed more than three runs in his eight previous starts while compiling a 2.14 ERA.
Suarez had allowed just one run over the first four innings but struggled when facing the Mariners' lineup the third time around in the contest.
"It's a learning experience for a pitcher," interim Angels manager Phil Nevin said. "The good ones understand how you've gotten a guy out early, and then maybe you try something a little different and attack the hitter differently later. We've talked to him about it. But that inning was more about losing the strike zone."
Suarez had walked No. 9 hitter Curt Casali on four pitches, gave up a single to Mitch Haniger and then hit Ty France with a pitch to load the bases. Santana then hit a 3-1 fastball into the bullpen in left-center field to give Seattle a 5-0 lead.
"You fall behind 3-0 and you come into Santana like that, he's going to do some damage," Nevin said.
The Angels ended Joe Ryan's shutout streak in Saturday night's loss when they scored three runs in the third inning, thanks to an RBI double by Mike Trout and a two-run single by Shohei Ohtani.
Baldelli yanked Ryan after just four innings and 69 pitches. Ryan struck out Trout with a 94.5 mph fastball in the first inning but saw his velocity steadily decline after that, yielding a fourth-inning single to Livan Soto on an 89.5 mph fastball.
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