Angels 5, Twins 2
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Johnny Giavotella and Kole Calhoun combined for half of the Angels' 12 hits, leading Los Angeles to a 5-2 win over the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday night at Angel Stadium.
The Angels earned their seventh win in a row and 17th in 20 games as they maintained their two-game lead over the Houston Astros in the American League West.
Los Angeles starter C.J. Wilson (8-7) got the win, but needed help from his bullpen after making 105 pitches in a five-inning outing.
Wilson gave up two runs on six hits and two walks, then got stellar relief from Fernando Salas (sixth inning), Trevor Gott (seventh), Joe Smith (eighth) and Huston Street (ninth, 25th save), who combined to shut out the Twins on three hits over the final four innings.
Street also became the 27th pitcher in major league history to record 300 career saves.
The Angels also made plays in the field, particularly Daniel Robertson. Playing center field with Mike Trout serving as the designated hitter, Robertson made a spectacular catch running into the fence to rob third baseman Trevor Plouffe of extra bases in the fourth inning.
Giavotella and Calhoun were pests at the top of the lineup, each getting three hits. Giavotella, who had a triple and two singles, scored three runs. Calhoun, who had three singles, drove in two runs.
Twins starter Mike Pelfrey (5-7) gave up four runs (two earned) on nine hits and one walk in six innings. First baseman Joe Mauer, center fielder Aaron Hicks and shortstop Danny Santana each had two hits for the Twins, who lost their fourth in a row and fell 7 1/2 games behind the Kansas City Royals in the AL Central.
The Angels took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on catcher Chris Iannetta's two-out homer, his second in the last two games.
The Twins answered with two runs in the top of the third to go up 2-1.
Hicks led off with a single and one out later went to second on a single by Santana. Hicks and Santana pulled off a double steal, and they scored on a single by second baseman Brian Dozier.
An error by Santana in the third led to two unearned runs for the Angels. Calhoun singled home Robertson, who opened the inning with a single.
The second run of the inning scored when Trout grounded into a double play, giving the Angels a 3-2 lead.
The Angels increased their lead to 4-2 in the fifth when Giavotella led off with a triple and scored on Calhoun's single.
NOTES: Angels RHP Huston Street got career save No. 299 on July 8 but hadn't pitched since before Wednesday, partly because of a strained groin and partly because of a lack of save situations. ... Mike Trout (sore left heel) was back in the Angels' lineup, at designated hitter, one day after missing a game for the first time this season. ... Twins DH Miguel Sano returned to the starting lineup after missing the previous two games with a sore right ankle. ... Angels SS Erick Aybar began the night hitting .402 (37-for-92) in his past 26 games since June 19, the best in the majors during that stretch. ... RF Torii Hunter needs one home run to reach 207 in a Twins uniform, which would match Kirby Puckett for sixth place on the club's all-time list.