Taj Bradley tossed seven strong innings, and Ryan Jeffers hit a go-ahead two-run double in the third, helping the Minnesota Twins to a 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday in Minneapolis.
Bradley (9-3) overcame solo homers by Josh Lowe and rookie Denzer Guzman to win his third straight start and improve to 4-0 in his last five starts. Bradley allowed two runs on six hits and struck out six batters.
Trevor Larnach had an RBI single in the third inning and a solo homer in the eighth to propel the Twins to their fifth straight series win.
Luke Keaschall had two of Minnesota’s six hits and Ryan Kreidler made a pair of defensive gems. Kreidler, a shortstop, denied Jo Adell’s bid for a hit in the fourth inning and made a lunging grab to thwart Zach Neto’s attempt for extra bases.
Andrew Morris yielded one hit and struck out two over two scoreless innings to secure his third save of the season.
Mike Trout and Nolan Schanuel each had two hits for the spiraling Angels (38-59), who have lost 10 of their last 12 games and dropped a season-worst 21 games under .500.
Lowe opened the scoring after depositing a first-pitch splitter from Bradley over the wall in right-center field. The homer was Lowe’s eighth of the season.
The Twins responded with three runs in the third inning.
Keaschall had a one-out single, advanced to second on Kreidler’s single and came around to score on Larnach’s single off Jose Soriano (8-6). Kreidler and Larnach each scored on Jeffers’ double into the left field corner.
Guzman sent a first-pitch cutter over the wall in left field to trim Minnesota’s lead to 3-2 with two outs in the seventh inning. Guzman’s towering homer was his fourth of the season and first since June 21.
Larnach got the run back to lead off the eighth, sending a 3-2 sweeper from Ryan Zeferjahn over the wall in right field. Larnach’s homer was his seventh of the season.
Soriano allowed three runs on five hits in five innings to fall to 0-2 over his last five starts.
