Santana leads charge with 4 RBIs in Twins' dominant blowout 

ANAHEIM -- The Twins' attempt to remedy a once-woeful offense has been working.

They've produced five or more runs in every game of a six-game win streak. On Saturday, they scored a season-high in a 16-5 demolition of the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium.

“I couldn’t be happier,” said manager Rocco Baldelli. “We brought the bats today. We’ve been swinging them well. We just brought it to a new level.”

Each member of the Minnesota starting lineup contributed at least one hit, but Carlos Santana has been delivering the biggest of late. He connected on a Statcast-projected 408-foot drive over the right-field wall with two aboard in the fourth inning, giving him a home run in three consecutive games.

It was part of Santana's four-RBI night. He brought in another on a second-inning double and continued to make solid plays in the field. In addition to his three round-trippers since Thursday, Santana has also gone 5-for-13 with seven RBIs.

"He's on a roll right now," Baldelli said of his first baseman, who has improved his OPS from .346 to .594 in the past week. "He's asserting himself. He's been waiting to do that. He has looked really good at the plate. The timing, seeing the ball -- it's all coming together right now. And he's hitting the ball hard."

Santana was among a host of Twins hitters who struggled to establish a rhythm over the first month of the schedule.

Following an April 21 loss to Detroit, Minnesota had a team batting average of .195 -- a franchise-low through 20 games -- and a .135 mark with runners in scoring position.

Saturday's game featured 16 chances with men on second or third base and the Twins' bats came through with seven hits and scored in each of the first four innings -- providing plenty of support for Minnesota starting pitcher Chris Paddack.

"We're winning as a team," Paddack said. "It's always a good thing when the boys come out swinging like they did."

The trio of Willi Castro, Santana and Kyle Farmer combined for a 6-for-13 output with six RBIs and two walks. Farmer had his first multi-hit performance on Saturday, going 2-for-3. His second-inning extra-base hit doubled his RBI total for the season.

"It was fantastic for him," Baldelli said. "The times this year when he has had good at-bats haven't always worked out, but today it sure did."

Max Kepler, Edouard Julien and Ryan Jeffers helped extend the Minnesota lead further. Kepler got his first 2024 homer when he went deep in the sixth. Julien tallied his fifth double of the year and third hit of the night, which scored Austin Martin and Alex Kiriloff.

Jeffers added the punctuation with a two-run homer in the ninth against the Angels' proverbial white flag on the mound, Aaron Hicks.

"It just meant we did a good job being relentless," Baldelli said.

The Twins' missed opportunity to jump out to a big lead in the first didn't look so bad after what happened in the following two innings.

Angels starter José Soriano initiated a Minnesota rally in the second with a hit-by-pitch, a wild pitch and a walk to Farmer. A slow groundout advanced both runners and Kiriloff's long drive to center became a sac fly as a result of an over-the-shoulder grab by Mike Trout.

Julien went to the opposite field past third baseman Luis Rengifo and Soriano was soon knocked out after 48 pitches. Lefty-swinging Trevor Larnach responded with an RBI hit off Los Angeles southpaw José Suarez.

The Twins scored three more in the third, thanks to two straight singles and back-to-back doubles from Santana and Farmer.

Minnesota's hitting frenzy began at the expense of the Chicago White Sox in a four-game sweep. Now, with a pair of wins over the Angels, the Twins have climbed back to .500.

"I just want to keep playing the way we're playing right now," Baldelli said. "I like what I'm seeing. I just want more of it."