Santana homers again, drives in 4, as Twins rout Angels 16-5

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Carlos Santana hit a home run in his third consecutive game and drove in four as the Minnesota Twins scored 10 times over the first four innings to extend their winning streak to six with a 16-5 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night.

Max Kepler and Ryan Jeffers also hit home runs and Edouard Julien had three hits and three RBIs as the Twins improved to 7-1 following a five-game losing streak that included a three-game sweep by the Baltimore Orioles.

Twins starter Chris Paddack (2-1) wobbled a bit by giving up four runs on eight hits and a walk but went five innings.

The Twins have at least 10 hits in every game of the winning streak and had six different players drive in runs over the first three innings on Saturday.

“It just meant that we did a good job being relentless in the way we approached the at-bats,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “To have that kind of production (three runs) in four different innings, honestly, what more can you ask for? There were no breaks. We didn't make it easy on them.”

Joe Adell hit a home run and drove in three runs for the Angels, who lost for the eighth time in their past nine games. Los Angeles starter Jose Soriano (0-4) gave up four runs with three walks over a season-low 1 2/3 innings. He has walked 11 batters over his last three starts.

Outfielder Aaron Hicks pitched the ninth inning for the Angels, giving up Jeffers' two-run homer.

“You just go home and get yourself some rest but the first thing you do is look yourself in the mirror,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “If you feel like you did everything you can do, then you go home and get some rest. It happens. I’m just hoping for the time we can do that.”

The Twins loaded the bases three batters into the game but scored just once on Kepler's walk. Alex Kirilloff, Julien and Trevor Larnach each drove in runs in the second inning for a 4-0 lead.

Santana had an RBI double in a three-run third inning and hit a three-run homer in the fourth for a 10-4 lead.

“I've been preparing and I feel good, my body feels good,” said the 38-year-old Santana, who is in his 15th season. “I have to continue to help when the team needs me and I have to help with defense or hitting. We're in a great spot. We won six games straight but tomorrow is a new day.”

Adell’s third home run of the season, a two-run shot, came in the second inning. He added an RBI single in the third.

Kepler hit a home run in the sixth inning and Julien had a two-run double off the top of the wall in left-center during a three-run seventh.

A two-run double for the Twins' Kyle Farmer in the third inning snapped an 0-for-17 run. Farmer reached base four times on two hits and two walks.

“He's another guy that has been working hard and it's coming to him,” Baldelli said. “The times this year when he has had good at-bats and did exactly what he wanted to do, it hasn't worked out. But today it sure did."

The Twins won a road series over the Angels for the first time since a three-game sweep in 2019.

TRAINERS ROOM

Twins: RHP Jhoan Duran (oblique) had two strikeouts over two innings during a rehab appearance for Triple-A St. Paul, throwing five of his 15 pitches at 100 mph or more.

Angels: 3B Miguel Sanó was out of the lineup against his former team with left knee soreness.

UP NEXT

Twins: RHP Pablo Lopez (1-2, 4.39 ERA) will look to improve on a 5.49 ERA over his last four starts on Sunday.

Angels: LHP Reid Detmers (3-1, 2.12 ERA) is out to rebound from his worst start of the season when he gave up four runs Monday to the Orioles.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Los Angeles Angels left fielder Taylor Ward can't catch the ball on a double by Minnesota Twins' Edouard Julien, during the seventh inning of a baseball game Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. Two runs scored. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Los Angeles Angels' Zach Neto loses his helmet while running to first after grounding out to Minnesota Twins shortstop Willi Castro during the fourth inning of a baseball game Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Minnesota Twins' Alex Kirilloff, right, slides home past Los Angeles Angels catcher Matt Thaiss to score on a double by Edouard Julien during the seventh inning of a baseball game Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Minnesota Twins' Max Kepler, right, celebrates his solo home run with third base coach Tommy Watkins during the sixth inning of the team's baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Minnesota Twins' Willi Castro is congratulated after scoring against the Los Angeles Angels during the third inning of a baseball game Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Minnesota Twins' Carlos Santana is congratulated in the dugout after scoring against the Los Angeles Angels during the third inning of a baseball game Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Jose Soriano throws to a Minnesota Twins batter during the first inning of a baseball game Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Chris Paddack throws during the first inning of the team's baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Minnesota Twins' Carlos Santana gestures while running the bases after hitting a three-run home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the fourth inning of a baseball game Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Chicago Cubs drew six bases-loaded walks in the fifth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday, the most by a major league team in a single inning in 65 years.

The last team to draw that many free passes with runners at every base in one inning was the Chicago White Sox, who had eight in the seventh inning on April 22, 1959, according to Major League Baseball.

The inning began with prized Pirates rookie Paul Skenes giving up two hits, ending his big league debut. The Cubs ended up needing three more pitchers to get through the frame.

Kyle Nicolas came on, struck out two batters and hit Ian Happ with a pitch. Then it got much worse.

Nicolas threw 12 straight pitches outside the strike zone to Nico Hoerner, Michael Busch and Miles Mastrobuoni to bring in three runs.

Then Josh Fleming came in and walked Yan Gomes on five pitches before giving up an infield single to Mike Tauchman.

Fleming was pulled for Colin Holderman, who walked Seiya Suzuki on four pitches and Cody Bellinger on five to give Chicago, which trailed 6-1 entering the frame, an 8-6 lead. Holderman retired pinch-hitter Nick Madrigal on a liner to end the inning.

The Pirates threw 55 pitches in the inning — 20 for strikes. They retook the lead with three runs in the bottom half and held on to win 10-9.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Kyle Nicolas gets the ball back from catcher Yasmani Grandal after walking Chicago Cubs' Miles Mastrobuoni, forcing in a run, during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Saturday, May 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)