Sano's late homer pushes Twins past Angels
Miguel Sano hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning to break a 1-1 tie and lead the Minnesota Twins to a 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night in Anaheim, Calif.
Sano lined a 2-0 fastball by reliever Ty Buttrey (2-2), who had not given up a home run in his 21 appearances this season, covering 23 2/3 innings, 391 feet into the bleachers in right-center for his second homer of the season, driving in Eddie Rosario, who had singled.
Luis Arraez went 3-for-4 with a run scored and Max Kepler went 2-for-4 with a walk for Minnesota, which won for the sixth time in seven games. Taylor Rogers (1-0) picked up the win, allowing a hit and a walk in 1 2/3 innings of relief. Blake Parker pitched a scoreless ninth for his eighth save.
Jake Odorizzi, who had won six consecutive starts entering the contest, pitched five shutout innings in getting a no-decision, allowing three singles, including one on a bunt against the shift, before departing after throwing 90 pitches. He walked two and struck out six.
Tommy La Stella went 3-for-4 with an RBI, and Brian Goodwin had two hits and scored a run for Los Angeles, which lost shortstop Andrelton Simmons to an apparent left ankle injury in the eighth inning two pitches after Shohei Ohtani appeared to be in pain after getting hit on the right hand while striking out.
Minnesota took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Arraez hit a one-out single to right and went to third on Jason Castro's bloop single down the left field. Ehire Adrianza then hit into a fielder's choice to drive in Arraez.
Los Angeles tied it in the seventh when Goodwin singled with one out, went to second when pinch hitter Albert Pujols walked, tagged and went to third on a fly out by David Fletcher, and then scored on a single by La Stella.
But the Twins answered with Sano's two-run home run in the eighth to regain the lead, the start of a bad inning for the Angels.
Simmons left the game with a left ankle injury in the bottom half after he landed awkwardly stretching for the first base bag while trying to beat a grounder into the hole between first and second. He had to be helped off the field and couldn't put pressure on the leg.
The injury to Simmons took place after Ohtani was struck on the right hand while swinging at a 94-mph Rogers' fastball and was called out on strikes.
--Field Level Media
