ANAHEIM, Calif. - Jered Weaver threw seven strong innings, the offense banged out 14 hits and the Los Angeles Angels held on for their sixth win in a row with a 6-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Thursday afternoon at Angel Stadium.
The win completed a three-game sweep of the Twins and a six-game sweep of the homestand. It was the first undefeated homestand of six or more games for the Angels since May 2004, when they won all seven games of a homestand.
Weaver followed right-hander Garrett Richards’ solid performance on Wednesday with one of his own, giving up one run and eight hits in seven innings. He improved to 8-6, making the Angels the only team in the American League to have three pitchers with at least eight wins (Richards and C.J. Wilson also have eight).
First baseman Albert Pujols led the 14-hit attack with three hits, center fielder Mike Trout had two hits and two RBIs and second baseman Howie Kendrick had two hits to extend his hitting streak to 10 games.
The Twins entered the series with a four-game winning streak but ran into a buzzsaw. Left fielder Chris Parmalee and designated hitter Joe Mauer each had three hits, but that was as good as it got for the Twins.
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Starting pitcher Ricky Nolasco (4-6) found trouble early and gave up six runs and 11 hits in six innings.
The only run Weaver allowed came in the sixth inning when right fielder Oswaldo Arcia singled home Mauer with two out. Weaver struck out six and walked one, winning for the first time in four starts.
Things got interesting in the ninth when the Twins loaded the bases with two outs against right-hander Ernesto Frieri. Angels manager Mike Scioscia summoned right-hander Joe Smith, who gave up a three-run double to Mauer (all three runs charged to Frieri) to cut the Angels’ lead to 6-4. But Smith struck out first baseman Kendrys Morales for the final out and his seventh save.
The Angels took a 2-0 lead in the first inning, getting an RBI single from Pujols and an RBI double by shortstop Erick Aybar.
Aybar’s hit was a “sun” double that resulted from Twins shortstop Pedro Florimon losing the ball in the sky on a play in shallow left field.
The Angels added to their lead in the third inning, getting consecutive doubles by Trout and Pujols followed by a single from left fielder Josh Hamilton for two more runs and a 4-0 lead.
Meanwhile, Weaver was sharp. He struck out the side in the first inning and did not allow a baserunner until Parmelee led off the third with a single.
The Twins pushed across a run in the sixth, getting three consecutive two-out singles, with Arcia driving in Mauer to cut the deficit to 4-1.
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Notes: The Twins called up SS Jorge Polanco from Class A Fort Myers. Polanco, 20, hit .289 with 12 doubles, five homers and 35 RBIs in 72 games for Fort Myers. Regular SS Danny Santana twisted his left knee running the bases Wednesday and is listed as day to day. SS Pedro Florimon started Thursday in Santana’s place. ... RHP Yohan Pino was optioned to Triple-A Rochester to make room on the roster for Polanco. Pino was 0-1 with a 6.30 ERA in two starts for the Twins. ... The Angels went into the game with a record of 25-14 at Angel Stadium for a .641 winning percentage, the best home record in the majors. ... Angels 2B Howie Kendrick entered the game on a nine-game hitting streak.
