Los Angeles Angels vs Minnesota Twins Box Score on Jul 03, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Jul 3, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS -- Max Kepler had four hits, including a solo homer, and drove in four runs, and Adalberto Mejia continued his strong run of starts as the Minnesota Twins returned home with a 9-5 win against the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night.

Joe Mauer added a two-run homer, and Miguel Sano, named to his first All-Star game on Sunday, had three hits and two RBIs for Minnesota, which finished an 11-game, three-city road trip on Sunday with its sixth loss in eight games. The Twins started the day with the lowest home winning percentage in baseball at .390 (16-25).

Mejia (4-3) pitched seven innings, allowing three runs on nine hits and a walk. He struck out five and ran his scoreless innings streak to 13 2/3 innings before three straight hits opened the fourth inning and led to two runs for the Angels.

Luis Valbuena and Martin Maldonado homered for Los Angeles, which has lost four of its past five games.

Angels starter Alex Meyer (3-5) again ran into control issues. He made it through five innings but surrendered five runs on six hits and four walks. He also hit a batter to go with six strikeouts.

Making his first start in Minnesota since being traded last year by the Twins to Los Angeles, Meyer balked in a run in the second inning. Mauer followed on the next pitch, sending a 2-2 fastball over the heart of the plate deep to the bullpen in left-center field for his fifth homer of the year.

The Twins kept adding on runs against Meyer and reliever Yusmeiro Petit. Sano scored from first on Kepler's double in the third. Kepler led off the fifth with his 10th homer of the year, and Sano added a two-run double in the sixth off Petit.

Mejia, a rookie who was coming off consecutive scoreless starts, made the runs hold up. The left-hander has stranded 20 of the past 23 baserunners he has allowed.

Valbuena hit a towering homer to right field estimated at 459 feet to start the seventh, his sixth of the season. Andrelton Simmons had his third hit of the game in the eighth, and Maldonado followed with his ninth homer of the year.

NOTES: Twins 2B Brian Dozier was scratched from the lineup due to lower back tightness. The team said he is considered day-to-day. ... The Angels announced CF Mike Trout would be held out of the All-Star Game as he recovers from left thumb surgery. Trout was elected to start for the fifth straight year but won't be ready in time. Manager Mike Scioscia said Trout would begin playing rehab games this week at Class A Inland Empire. ... Los Angeles RHP Matt Shoemaker will make a rehab start on Tuesday with Inland Empire as he tries to return from a right forearm extensor strain. Shoemaker is scheduled to pitch three or four innings and around 45 to 50 pitches. ... Minnesota will activate INF Ehire Adrianza from the disabled list on Tuesday after he finished rehab games for abdominal issues.