Garver's 12th-inning RBI double leads Twins past Angels
Mitch Garver's RBI double in the top of the 12th inning snapped a 3-3 tie and helped lift the Minnesota Twins to a 5-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night at Angel Stadium.
Garver's game-winner, off Angels right-hander Noe Ramirez, ended a battle of bullpens that saw relievers from both teams put up zeroes after the seventh inning and into the 12th.
Ramirez, the last of four Angels relievers, had pitched two scoreless innings before being sent out for the 12th. But Eddie Rosario led off with an infield single and then scored on Garvers double.
One out later, Garver scored on a single by Gregorio Petit, who played for the Angels two seasons ago, to make it 5-3.
Fernando Rodney, the last of five Twins relievers, pitched a scoreless inning in the bottom of the 12th for his seventh save. Trevor Hildenberger (1-0) earned the win over Ramirez (1-2).
The Twins got on the scoreboard first, scoring three runs in the third off Angels starter Nick Tropeano, who was coming off his best performance of the season.
Back on May 1, Tropeano shut out the Orioles on one hit over 6 1/3 innings. But Tropeano was on the disabled list the next day because of an inflamed right shoulder.
Against the Twins, he retired the first six hitters he faced before walking Logan Morrison to begin the third. Minnesota then strung together three consecutive hits, including an RBI double by Byron Buxton and an RBI single by Joe Mauer.
Brian Dozier drove in the third run of the inning with a sacrifice fly.
The Angels got one back in the bottom of the third against Twins starter Kyle Gibson after Zack Cozart's ground-rule double with one out. Cozart went to third on a wild pitch, and after a walk to Mike Trout, scored when Justin Upton grounded into a force play.
Gibson and Tropeano both settled in from there, neither team scoring again until the Angels pushed one across in the bottom of the sixth, when Andrelton Simmons tripled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Luis Valbuena.
Gibson finished the inning but was done for the night. He gave up two runs on three hits and four walks in six innings. He struck out six and made 92 pitches.
Tropeano had just the one bad inning, giving up three runs on five hits and three walks in six innings. He struck out two and made 87 pitches.
The Angels got even in the seventh against Twins reliever Ryan Pressly. Kole Calhoun walked and reached second on a wild pitch. With two out, Mike Trout walked and Upton followed with single to left, scoring Calhoun to tie the game at 3-3.
--Field Level Media
