Twins bash Angels 10-5 behind homers by Farmer, Wallner, Santana to lift lagging lineup

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Kyle Farmer’s three-run home run in the second inning gave the Minnesota Twins a much-needed spark as they broke a four-game losing streak with a 10-5 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday night. Matt Wallner and Carlos Santana also homered, lifting the Twins’ offense in a game where they had previously struggled.

Pablo López (15-8) earned his fourth consecutive win, striking out 10 over seven scoreless innings. Despite a three-run homer by Zach Neto in the fifth that narrowed the lead to 6-4, López held firm. The victory was crucial for the Twins (77-68), who had faltered recently, losing 15 of their last 21 games. With 17 games remaining, the Twins maintain a three-game lead for the final AL wild-card spot, although they trail Cleveland by six games in the AL Central. Detroit (74-71) is the closest contender.

Wallner contributed significantly with a solo homer in the third and a two-run double in the sixth, which helped chase Angels starter Griffin Canning (5-13) from the game. Canning, who had a rough night, gave up a career-high 10 runs on nine hits and three walks, with one run being unearned due to a fielding error by first baseman Nolan Schanuel.

Trevor Larnach had a productive game, reaching base all four times with a single and three walks, scoring three runs. Ryan Jeffers added two RBIs, and Santana hit his team-leading 21st homer, further adding to Canning’s woes and extending his winless road record to 0-10.

After struggling with offense during their losing streak, including scoring only four runs across four games and striking out 72 times in their last seven, the Twins managed to put up a solid performance. They handed the Angels (60-85) their 21st loss in the last 30 games.

López has been instrumental for the Twins since the All-Star break, providing stability to a rotation that’s been relying heavily on rookies. Although he nearly escaped the fifth inning unscathed, a two-out error by second baseman Edouard Julien and a subsequent RBI single by Taylor Ward set the stage for Neto’s home run.

**UP NEXT**
– **Angels:** Rookie right-hander Jack Kochanowicz (2-4, 4.89 ERA) is scheduled to pitch on Wednesday night. He has delivered five straight quality starts, going at least six innings and allowing three runs or fewer.
– **Twins:** Right-hander Zebby Matthews (1-3, 7.36 ERA) will take the mound for the final game of the series. Matthews has struggled recently, giving up 13 runs on 19 hits in his last two starts.