ANAHEIM, CALIF. – It was only a week ago the Twins had one of the worst-performing offenses in the major leagues and their record slumped to six games below .500.
Twins winning streak hits seven games with 11-5 bashing of Angels
The Twins offense has come alive with at least 10 hits in all seven games of the winning streak. They open a three-game series against the White Sox next.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
April 29, 2024 at 5:13AM
Now they are achieving feats that haven’t been done by Twins teams in more than a decade.
Nine Twins batters contributed to their 17-hit barrage in Sunday’s 11-5 victory over the reeling Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium, their second straight game with 17 hits. The Twins won their seventh consecutive game, matching the franchise’s longest winning streak in nearly 13 years.
The Twins posted a double-digit hit total during all seven games during their winning streak in sweeps over the Angels and Chicago White Sox. It’s the first time since 2006 that the Twins finished seven consecutive games with at least 10 hits.
“You’ve almost got to watch it,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “My words aren’t going to really do it justice. The at-bats have been fantastic.”
During the winning streak, the Twins beat up on two teams that hold a combined 16-40 record, but their offense is doing all the things it didn’t earlier in the season. The Twins delivered six hits Sunday with a runner in scoring position. Seven hits came in two-strike counts. In the seventh inning, Alex Kirilloff hit a two-run, ground-rule double with the bases loaded, just the club’s second hit with the bases loaded this year.
The Angels, who have lost nine of their past 10 games, didn’t help themselves with three errors, four walks and a hit batter. It was the first time the Twins swept the Angels since a three-game sweep in 2019.
“Obviously, the first couple weeks they were rough, but things now are starting to come our way,” said Jose Miranda, who had three hits, two doubles and two RBI.
The Twins didn’t have any baserunners in their first time through the lineup against Angels lefthander Reid Detmers. Then they got three hits in the fourth inning, including a two-out RBI single to left field from Miranda, and the offense was back on track.
There were four straight Twins hits to open the fifth inning, and they all turned into runs. Austin Martin drove in two runs with a single through the left side of the infield, with Kyle Farmer scoring from second base on an aggressive wave from third base coach Tommy Watkins. Martin scored when Ryan Jeffers dropped a single between outfielders and the ball bounced past right fielder Jo Adell.
“We don’t need homers to win games and put up the runs we’ve got,” said Byron Buxton, who scored three runs. “We run the bases well.”
The Twins’ first four batters reached base in the seventh inning via two walks and a single before Kirilloff’s double bounced into the stands after dropping down the line in fair territory. With two outs, Willi Castro poked an RBI single to right field.
“We’re seeing the ball better,” Baldelli said. “You can just see it. We are definitely seeing and making better decisions at the plate recently, and it’s not one or two guys, it’s really basically the whole lineup right now.”
The offense picked up Pablo López, who had a mixed outing. He retired his first 14 batters, compiling eight strikeouts through his first four innings.
Angels catcher Logan O’Hoppe broke up López’s no-hit bid on a two-out, two-strike pitch in the fifth inning, and López unraveled. Jo Adell was awarded an RBI double on a ground ball that deflected off Miranda’s glove at third base.
After López surrendered his first run, Luis Rengifo lifted the next pitch, an inside fastball, over the wall in right field for a two-run homer. Nolan Schanuel, the next batter, made it back-to-back homers when he pulled an inside fastball down the right-field line.
“Pretty good for 14 outs and [bad] for one,” said López, whose velocity rebounded after a dip in his previous start.
Chris Sale was one of the ace left-handers Tarik Skubal idolized as a teenager. Now the two will be linked forever after winning their first Cy Young Awards on Wednesday.
