Angels look overmatched in 7-2 loss to Minnesota Twins

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So much for momentum. The Angels were smoked by the Minnesota Twins, 7-2, in Target Field on Friday night, making the emotional lift they got from Thursday’s players-only meeting in Fenway Park -- and their subsequent 7-2 win over the Red Sox -- look like another false start.

Dan Haren was rocked for seven runs and 11 hits in seven innings, his most glaring mistake a hanging breaking ball that Jason Kubel crushed into the upper deck in right field for a three-run home run in the third inning. Kubel’s 429-foot shot, his 18th homer of the season, followed a two-out intentional walk to Joe Mauer.

Juan Rivera, who did not play in the previous three games, looked lost in left field, getting a glove on but dropping Jim Thome‘s leadoff triple to left-center in the fourth inning. After Delmon Young‘s run-scoring single, Rivera lost Danny Valencia‘s routine fly ball in the overcast, twilight sky, allowing it to drop for a double.

J.J. Hardy then hit a sacrifice fly, and Orlando Hudson added a two-out RBI single to cap a three-run rally and give the American League Central-leading Twins a 7-1 lead.

Minnesota left-hander Brian Duensing allowed only one run and seven hits in eight innings, striking out six and walking none, to improve to 7-1 and drop the Angels to 17-22 against left-handed starters this season. They went 37-17 against lefties in 2009.

The Angels dropped a game in the AL West standings to Texas, and they now trail the Rangers by eight games.

-- Mike DiGiovanna in Minneapolis