MINNEAPOLIS -- The Los Angeles Angels were buried early as they ultimately fell 11-4 at the hands of the Minnesota Twins on Friday evening at Target Field in the series opener. The Angels are now 12-13 and 7-9 on the road.
Kyle Hendricks and Carl Edwards Jr. both struggled significantly in the fourth inning as Minnesota tagged the pair for six combined run and opened up a 9-1 advantage. Despite homers from Mike Trout and Logan O'Hoppe, the deficit was ultimately too much to overcome.
Hendricks, making his fifth start of the year, faced issues with his control throughout the entirety of his time on the mound. The 35-year-old walked a season-high five batters and allowed three hits as the Twins tagged him for seven runs total.
Most of the damage came in the fourth as he allowed a pair of walks and a single to open the frame before walking in Minnesota's fourth run of the game against Edouard Julien. The righty was then pulled and replaced with Edwards Jr., who allowed a three-run homer to Trevor Larnach just two batters later that made it 9-1.
Trevor Larnach blasts a 3-run jack as the @Twins make it a 6-run frame 💪 pic.twitter.com/5En8qnnhoM
— MLB (@MLB) April 26, 2025
It was just the second appearance for the 33-year-old this season, as he escaped the frame without surrendering another run and pitched a scoreless fifth as well.
Victor Mederos would go the rest of the way for Los Angeles, dealing the final three innings and allowing two more runs on RBI hits from Byron Buxton and Mickey Gasper in the sixth. Buxton finished 2/3 in the game while Larnach went 2/4 as the duo combined for seven RBI on the day.
For the Angels, Trout finished 2/5 as he collected a pair of RBI and re-tied the MLB lead with his ninth home run.
Mike Trout ties for the MLB lead with his 9th home run! pic.twitter.com/ErSCVwzof7
— MLB (@MLB) April 26, 2025
O'Hoppe's blast was his seventh of the year, putting him in a tie for second in the American League. The other RBI for the Halos in the contest came from Jo Adell, who had an RBI single in the second that had the Angels even at 1 early on.
Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
The squad managed to outhit Minnesota 10-8, but simply couldn't get the crucial outs on the mound as the Twins went 4-9 with runners in scoring position, including the big home runs from Buxton and Larnach.
Looking to avoid their second consecutive series loss, the Angels will play game two of the series on Saturday morning. They will send out left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (0-3, 3.38 ERA) to face Minnesota right hander Simeon Woods Richardson (1-2, 4.74 ERA).
First pitch is scheduled for 11:10 a.m. PT.