Carlos Santana, Twins hammer Angels 16-5 for sixth straight win

Santana homered for the third time in as many games as the Twins got back to .500.

Minnesota Twins first baseman Carlos Santana (30) is greeted by third base coach/outfield coach Tommy Watkins (40) after hitting a three run home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the fourth inning at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif., on April 27, 2024. / Gary A. Vasquez / USA TODAY Sports

This is what the Twins were hoping for when they signed Carlos Santana. 

Santana hit his third home run in as many games, this time a three-run shot in the fourth inning, to power the Twins past the Los Angeles Angels 14-5 Saturday night in Anaheim, Calif. 

The Twins are back to .500 at 13-13 after a six-game winning streak. 

Santana hit his first homer of the year in Thursday’s victory in the series finale against the Chicago White Sox. He hit another in Friday night’s series-opening victory over the Angels. Then on Saturday, he took four-seamer from Angels reliever Jose Cisnero 408 feet into the right-field bleachers for a three-run homer that gave the Twins a 10-4 lead in the fourth inning. 

That scored Trevor Larnach and Will Castro, who were walked and hit a single, respectively. 

Santana was 2 for 4 overall Saturday night with four RBIs and three runs scored.

The Twins chased Angels starter Jose Soriano early. In the first inning, Alex Kirilloff drew a leadoff walk before Edouard Julien advanced him to third base with a single to right field.

Ryan Jeffers was then hit by a pitch to load the bases. 

After Trevor Larnach struck out, Max Kepler drew another walk to force in the opening run of the game. While Soriano got out of the inning with minimal damage after getting Willi Castro to ground into a 6-3 double play, his day wouldn’t last too much longer. 

Soriano hit Santana with a pitch to open the second inning before walking Kyle Farmer. Austin Martin grounded out to short but advanced Santana and Farmer to second and third, and Kirilloff scored Santana with a sacrifice fly to center field to make it 2-0. 

Then Julien scored Farmer with a single to left field, and Jeffers followed up with another single to put runners at first and second. That put an end to Soriano’s day as Angels manager Ron Washington turned to Jose Suarez, who gave up a single to Larnach that scored Julien for a 4-0 Twins lead, although the inning would end when Jeffers was thrown out at third base. 

Jo Adell hit a two-run homer in the second inning off Twins starter Chris Paddack to put the Angels (10-17) back within two runs, but the Twins just kept stringing hits together and adding more runs.

Paddack went five innings Saturday, allowing eight hits and four runs while fanning a pair.

Kepler and Castro hit back-to-back singles to open the third inning before Santana and Farmer hit back-to-back doubles, Santana’s scoring Kepler and Farmer’s scoring both Castro and Santana. That gave the Twins a 7-2 lead before Suarez retired the next three Twins batters in order. 

The Angels got two back in the bottom of the frame, getting RBI singles from Aaron Hicks and Adell. But that set the stage for Santana’s three-run blast in the fourth inning to make it 10-4.

Kepler later hit a solo homer that went 407 feet into center field in the sixth inning to make it 11-4, and the Twins plated three more in the seventh inning off an RBI double from Kirilloff and a two-RBI double from Julien. It was just an absolute beating from the Twins.

Kody Funderburk pitched a 1-2-3 sixth inning, but he did give up a run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly from Brandon Drury after walking Mike Trout and giving up a single to Taylor Ward. Funderburk allowed just the one hit and one run while fanning one across two innings.

Jeffers hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning off Hicks, the designated hitter and outfielder who was pitching in the ninth inning to save a bullpen arm for the Angels, to add further insult to injury.

Jay Jackson pitched scoreless eighth and ninth innings to close it out for the Twins.