Angels beat Twins, 6-4, on strong outing by Jered Weaver

KEY MOMENT: A five-run cushion in the ninth was almost not enough for deposed closer Ernesto Frieri. The Twins loaded the bases with two outs on a single and two walks. Joe Smith gave up a three-run double to Joe Mauer to make it 6-4 and raise Frieri’s earned-run average to 6.39. But Smith struck out Kendrys Morales, who represented the tying run, for his seventh save.

AT THE PLATE: Kole Calhoun singled and scored in the first and seventh innings, and Howie Kendrick and Efren Navarro each had two hits. Erick Aybar hit a run-scoring double in the first, joining Orlando Cabrera as the only Angels shortstops to record 20 doubles and 40 runs batted in before the All-Star game. Josh Hamilton hit an RBI single in the third, and Mike Trout hit a two-run double in the seventh.

ON THE MOUND: Jered Weaver struck out the side in the first en route to a seven-inning, one-run, eight-hit, six-strikeout effort that improved his record to 9-2 and dropped his ERA to 3.22 in 15 career starts against the Twins. Weaver has a record of 64-27 with a 2.66 ERA in 121 starts in Angel Stadium. His biggest out came in the seventh, when he threw three balls to Brian Dozier, worked his way back to a full count, and got Dozier to pop out to shortstop to end the inning with runners on first and third, preserving a 4-1 lead.

POSSIBLE REUNION: The Angels could have interest in reliever Scott Downs if the veteran left-hander, designated for assignment by the Chicago White Sox on Thursday, is released. Downs, who had a 2.10 ERA in 160 games for the Angels from 2011 to 2013, had a 6.08 ERA in 38 games this season but held left-handers to a .224 average. He makes $3.75 million, but the Angels would pay only the prorated portion of the major league minimum salary — about $250,000 — to sign Downs if he is released.

UP NEXT: Right-hander Matt Shoemaker (5-1, 3.42 ERA) will oppose Kansas City left-hander Jason Vargas (7-3, 3.16 ERA) at Kauffman Stadium on Friday at 5 p.m. PDT. On the air: TV: FS West. Radio: 830, 1330.