Trout Hits 32nd Homer As Angels Sweep Twins, 14-4
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels have been winning lately with contributions from different players each game. On Sunday, everyone took a turn.
Mike Trout, Howie Kendrick and C.J. Cron all homered, C.J. Wilson earned his 11th win, and the major league-leading Angels routed Minnesota 14-4 to complete a season sweep of the last-place Twins.
Almost every Angels starter had a hit, and six drove in runs. Kendrick led the way with three hits and four RBIs. Trout, Cron and Chris Iannetta each drove in a pair of runs, and the AL West leaders had a season-high 19 hits to complete their fifth four-game sweep this season, extending a franchise record.
"We've been winning ballgames. I think that's kind of the key thing whether we get a lot of hits or a couple of hits, all it comes down to is winning the game," Kendrick said.
The Angels finished the season 7-0 against Minnesota.
With the outcome virtually assured in the eighth, the game resembled a spring training matchup with each team trotting out seldom-used youngsters. Shawn O'Malley got a hit in his first major league at-bat in the ninth off Minnesota reliever Caleb Thielbar.
"They kept swinging, the ball kept flying," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Just one of those days."
Wilson (11-9) overcame some early struggles to limit Minnesota to four hits while striking out six in 6 1-3 innings. He walked three straight batters to start the second. All three came around to score, giving Minnesota a 3-1 lead, but Wilson retired 13 of his next 14 hitters.
"After the first two innings, you look up and I think he had over 50 pitches, wasn't out of the second yet," manager Mike Scioscia said. "And then he ends up going though, almost finishing the seventh. That says a lot."
Trout's two-run homer in the third off rookie Logan Darnell (0-2) tied it.
"Especially after we scored, we got those runs back, I felt like, OK, we're going to score runs today," Wilson said.
And did they ever. 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 O'Malley and Kendrick.
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.
"We hung in there the first three days and had chances. Today they just dominated us," Gardenhire said.
GOING CYCLING?
Kendrick went 10 for 18 with two doubles, two triples, a home run, three runs and eight RBIs in the series. He needed a double on Sunday to hit for the cycle; on Saturday night, he needed a homer. "It'd have been cool to do it, but at the same time it's part of the game," Kendrick said. "I knew once we went up by quite a few runs, Mike was going to make a couple changes. That was part of the game."
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 Scioscia to reshuffle his lineup. "He felt good the first round of BP and then it started to stiffen up a little bit," the manager said, adding the team will re-evaluate Hamilton on Monday.
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. Perkins will likely play catch on Tuesday.
UP NEXT
The Angels make a quick detour to Cleveland for a makeup game Monday before heading to Texas for a three-game series. Angels RHP Jered Weaver (15-8) is 8-2 with a 3.44 ERA in his last 15 starts. He'll face RHP Danny Salazar (6-6).
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).
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