OC Register: Ian Kinsler’s home run caps comeback victory for Angels

[AngelsWin.com]

• MINNEAPOLIS, MN – JUNE 08: Zack Cozart #7 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim slides safely into third base during the second inning of the game on June 8, 2018 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

• Los Angeles Angels pitcher Garrett Richards throws against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning of a baseball game Friday, June 8, 2018, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

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• Minnesota Twins pitcher Lance Lynn throws against the Los Angeles Angels in the first inning of a baseball game Friday, June 8, 2018, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

• Los Angeles Angels second baseman Ian Kinsler, left, tags out Minnesota Twins’ Mitch Garver at second in the second inning of a baseball game Friday, June 8, 2018, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

• MINNEAPOLIS, MN – JUNE 08: Garrett Richards #43 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning of the game on June 8, 2018 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

• Minnesota Twins’ Robbie Grossman runs the bases on a solo home run off Los Angeles Angels pitcher Garrett Richards during the sixth inning of a baseball game Friday, June 8, 2018, in Minneapolis. The Angels won 4-2. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

• MINNEAPOLIS, MN – JUNE 08: Chris Young #24 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim makes a catch in right field of the ball hit by Logan Morrison #99 of the Minnesota Twins during the first inning of the game on June 8, 2018 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

• Los Angeles Angels pitcher Garrett Richards throws against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning of a baseball game Friday, June 8, 2018, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

• Minnesota Twins’ Eduardo Escobar celebrates his stand-up triple off Los Angeles Angels pitcher Garrett Richards in the third inning of a baseball game Friday, June 8, 2018, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

• Minnesota Twins shortstop Eduardo Escobar throws out Los Angeles Angels’ Ian Kinsler after fielding a grounder in the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, June 8, 2018, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Ian Kinsler rounds third base on a two-run home run off Minnesota Twins pitcher Ryan Pressly during the seventh inning of a baseball game Friday, June 8, 2018, in Minneapolis. The Angels won 4-2. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

• MINNEAPOLIS, MN – JUNE 08: Martin Maldonado #12 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim congratulates teammate Ian Kinsler #3 on a two-run home run against the Minnesota Twins during the seventh inning of the game on June 8, 2018 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Angels defeated the Twins 4-2. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

• MINNEAPOLIS, MN – JUNE 08: Noe Ramirez #25 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins during the sixth inning of the game on June 8, 2018 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Angels defeated the Twins 4-2. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Justin Upton rounds the bases on a solo home run off Minnesota Twins pitcher Addison Reed during the eighth inning of a baseball game Friday, June 8, 2018, in Minneapolis. The Angels won 4-2. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

• MINNEAPOLIS, MN – JUNE 08: Third base coach Dino Ebel #21 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim congratulates Justin Upton #8 as he rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Minnesota Twins during the eighth inning of the game on June 8, 2018 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Angels defeated the Twins 4-2. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Justin Upton prepares for high-fives as he enters the dugout following his solo home run off Minnesota Twins pitcher Addison Reed during the eighth inning of a baseball game Friday, June 8, 2018, in Minneapolis. The Angels won 4-2. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

• MINNEAPOLIS, MN – JUNE 08: Justin Upton #8 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim looks on as teammate Mike Trout #27 makes a catch in center field of the ball hit by Eduardo Escobar #5 of the Minnesota Twins during the seventh inning of the game on June 8, 2018 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Angels defeated the Twins 4-2. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

• MINNEAPOLIS, MN – JUNE 08: Blake Parker #53 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins during the ninth inning of the game on June 8, 2018 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Angels defeated the Twins 4-2. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

• Los Angeles Angels pitcher Blake Parker, right, and catcher Martin Maldonado celebrate after the Angels defeated the Minnesota Twins 4-2 in a baseball game Friday, June 8, 2018, in Minneapolis. Parker picked up the save. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

• MINNEAPOLIS, MN – JUNE 08: Omarr Baker, brother of the late Prince, delivers a ceremonial pitch before the game between the Minnesota Twins and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on June 8, 2018 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

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MINNEAPOLIS — Ian Kinsler’s tale of two seasons picked up where it left off.

Kinsler’s two-run home run in the seventh inning Friday gave the Angels the go-ahead runs in their 4-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins before an announced crowd of 28,383 at Target Field.

After Martin Maldonado doubled against reliever Ryan Pressly, Kinsler hit a towering fly ball off the first deck of seats in left field. The 411-foot blast was Kinsler’s seventh home run of the season. Five of those have come in the last two weeks; three of his five hits during the Angels’ last homestand left the ballpark.

The come-from-behind win allowed the Angels (36-28) to remain 4-1/2 games behind the first-place Seattle Mariners (40-23) in the American League West.

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Justin Upton gave the Angels an insurance run in the eighth inning with his 15th home run this year. The bullpen allowed the score to hold up by throwing 3-2/3 scoreless innings in relief of starter Garrett Richards. Noe Ramirez (2-2), Jose Alvarez and Blake Parker allowed only an infield single and struck out five batters. Parker was credited with his sixth save.

Richards pitched very well for five innings, then not very well in the sixth. He was charged with two earned runs in 5-1/3 innings, though he could scarcely be blamed for the first.

The Angels led 1-0 when Max Kepler singled with one out in the second inning. The next batter, Miguel Sano, hit a fairly routine grounder to Angels third baseman Luis Valbuena. With a chance to turn a double play, Valbuena pulled his body toward second base as the bouncing baseball approached, but he dragged his glove a bit too far and the baseball sailed into left field untouched.

Kepler scored all the way from first base, and Sano was credit with a double – an act more generous than a presidential pardon.

The score remained 1-1 until the sixth inning when Robbie Grossman smoldered a hanging slider into left field for a home run. The Twins led 2-1, and Richards’ night was over after he walked the next batter, Kepler.

Richards has a 2.09 ERA in his last seven starts but only one win to show for it. Some of that is due to run support, and losing Andrelton Simmons to a sprained ankle and Shohei Ohtani to a sprained elbow ligament did not help the Angels’ offense.

Twins starter Lance Lynn limited the Angels to one run over six innings Friday. The right-hander walked two batters and struck out seven, lowering his ERA from 5.46 to 5.08.

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The Angels’ lone rally against Lynn came in the second inning, and they very nearly scored more than one. Zack Cozart, Jose Fernandez, and Martin Maldonado – the Angels’ 6-7-8 hitters – hit singles in consecutive at-bats. Fernandez’s single came in his first major-league at-bat, and it sent Cozart to third base. Cozart scored easily on Maldonado’s grounder back up the middle, giving the Angels a 1-0 lead.

Chris Young made the second out on an infield pop-up. The next batter, Kinsler, broke his bat on a weak flare toward second base that landed on the infield grass. Nobody could field the ball cleanly, Kinsler was safe with an infield single, and the bases were loaded for Mike Trout.

Trout began the game with only one hit, a single, in six career at-bats against Lynn. In the first inning, Lynn challenged Trout with a two-strike fastball and got him to swing and miss. This time Trout fared no better. He fouled off a 96-mph heater with the count full, then swung and missed at another.

Trout is hitless in his last nine at-bats with five strikeouts. He saw 17 pitches against Lynn on Friday. Only the last two were curveballs. He finished the game 0 for 4 with two flyouts.

More to come on this story.

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