MINNEAPOLIS — The Angels didn’t convert on their opportunities as well as the Minnesota Twins did.
The Angels lost, 5-3, to the Twins on Saturday, mostly because they had just two hits in 14 at-bats with runners in scoring position, while the Twins were 3-for-4.
The Angels had 10 hits and four walks, but the only runs came on Jorge Soler’s third-inning two-run double and a Nolan Schanuel hit in the seventh.
Down by two in the ninth, the Angels got the tying run on base after a Mike Trout single and a Schanuel walk, but Soler hit a popup and Vaughn Grissom struck out.
Just after the Angels tied the game, 3-3, in the top of the seventh, the Twins got the lead back against left-hander Mitch Farris. He allowed three consecutive hits to Royce Lewis, Victor Caratini and Alan Roden, putting the Twins back on top.
“We liked the matchup with the changeup and (Farris) just left the ball up and got hit,” Suzuki said.
Angels starter Ryan Johnson also gave up his runs in a quick burst in the second inning. He faced the minimum three hitters in the other four innings he worked. The Angels turned two double plays behind him.
“I just kind of fell out of sync,” Johnson said. “The timing was off. I feel like it was not really specific towards the second. I feel like I battled it all day. Just kind of got away with it in the other innings. They were able to hit some ground balls and our defense was just great behind me. They really bailed me out a lot of times.”
Johnson started the second with a four-pitch walk. He then threw the first pitch to Lewis over the plate, and he hit a two-run homer. He gave up another hit and a walk in the inning, with the third run scoring on a fly ball.
After that, Johnson didn’t give up another run, which he took as a sign of progress. In another start in which he felt “out of sync,” in March in Chicago, he gave up six runs and got knocked out in the fourth inning.
“It wasn’t my sharpest day,” Johnson said. “It’s like just one of those days and I just didn’t have my best stuff and my best mechanics, feel for the zone. That’s a part of it. You’re gonna experience that more than you feel good. I think it’s a big stepping stone to be able to have this time where it’s like, ‘OK, I still made it through five,’ whereas last time I didn’t feel it and I made it three innings, in Chicago, and it kind of spirals out of control.”
Johnson has a 3.96 ERA in five starts since re-joining the rotation on June 18.
The Angels took Johnson off the hook for the loss by tying the game, but they couldn’t get a lead, despite numerous opportunities.
Seven of the Angels’ nine starters reached by a hit or walk. One of the players who didn’t reach base was Grissom, who came up with six runners on base.
Logan O’Hoppe, the other one who didn’t reach base, came up with four runners on. In the eighth inning, he hit a 110-mph lineout to end the inning, stranding runners at first and second.
“Sometimes you’ve got to tip your hat,” Suzuki said. “They executed the pitches. A couple balls hit to them, line drive to shortstop with Hop. I think (second baseman Kody) Clemens made a couple nice plays, ranging out to the outfield on those shallow ones. They executed the pitches. They pitched well.”