​MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Vaughn Grissom was 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs as the Los Angeles Angels defeated the Minnesota Twins 4-3 on Friday night, snapping a five-game skid at Target Field. Grissom connected on the first pitch of the fourth inning, sending it over the left-field wall. Jorge Soler followed with a double and later scored on a balk called on Twins starter Zebby Matthews, which gave LA a 2-1 edge. Matthews allowed four runs and nine hits over six innings.
Grissom’s homer was part of a two-out rally that began with Grissom’s blast, and Grissom later contributed a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning after Nolan Schanuel sparked a four-single barrage to start that frame, extending the Angels’ lead to 4-1. Meckler’s run-scoring effort came in the same sequence, and Heineman added two hits for Los Angeles, who have now dropped eight of their last 10 games but managed to halt a losing streak in this outing.
Grissom’s effort supported a strong performance from Grissom’s Angels teammates. Grissom’s two-base impact came during a game in which Grissom and Soler combined to put the Angels ahead early, while Schanuel’s four-consecutive singles to begin the fifth inning culminated in an insurance run when Meckler crossed home on the later sequence. The game’s early momentum shifted when the Twins tied the game in the bottom of the first, as Trevor Larnach led off with a double and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Kody Clemens.
Minnesota’s offense was sparked by Larnach’s double and Clemens’ RBI, with Brooks Lee and Josh Bell contributing two hits apiece, including a Bell double. Lee also delivered a run-scoring double, and Austin Martin added an RBI groundout as a pinch hitter in the sixth to trim the deficit to one. However, Samy Natera Jr. managed to quell the Twins’ rally by retiring Clemens and Bell in the seventh, preserving Minnesota’s 4-3 deficit.
The Twins, who boast an impressive run differential against the Angels recently, entered this game 10-4 with a plus-41 differential against Los Angeles in their last 14 meetings dating back to September 2023. On Saturday, Minnesota will send right-hander Joe Ryan (6-5, 2.85) to the mound to face Angels ace Ryne Johnson (1-4, 6.99 ERA) in the middle game of the three-game set. Ryan will be seeking to rebound after a tough season start, while Johnson looks to stabilize his rotation after a rocky stretch.
In the bullpen, Kirby Yates closed out the win with a scoreless ninth for his third save of the season, capping a night where Grissom and the Angels finally found some offensive traction at Target Field. Grissom’s multi-hit night, paired with Soler’s early impact and Meckler’s two-hit performance, gave Los Angeles a much-needed victory as they try to climb back into the mix despite their recent skid.
Note: This recap reflects the game’s events as described, highlighting key moments such as Grissom’s fourth-inning homer, Soler’s early double and subsequent run, Matthews’ balk that widened the lead, and Minnesota’s late rally that fell short.