Managerial Switch Doesn’t Change Angel Fortunes Against Twins, 7-1

The Angels, having replaced Cookie with Moose earlier in the day, were beaten Friday night, in large part, by a guy named Kirby.

That’s Kirby Puckett, the All-Star outfielder who had 2 doubles, 3 runs batted in and 1 run scored to help the Minnesota Twins beat the Angels, 7-1, on the day Moose Stubing became the interim manager in place of the fired Cookie Rojas.

Charlie Lea and Roy Smith combined to limit the Angels to 5 hits before an Anaheim Stadium crowd of 23,902. Smith (2-0) got the win with 5 innings of shutout relief.

Angel starter Chuck Finley took a 2-hitter into the sixth inning, at which point the Twins nailed him for 3 runs and 4 hits in all shapes and sizes. The RBIs came from Puckett (double to the wall in right), Gary Gaetti (sacrifice fly to right) and Tim Laudner (infield single in the hole at shortstop).

The Twins chased Finley in the eighth, when Tommy Herr opened the inning with a walk and Puckett doubled down the right-field line for his second RBI. Stewart Cliburn replaced Finley and ended the potential rally.

The Angels scored their run in the fourth when Wally Joyner singled with one out, took third on Chili Davis’ single and came home on Dante Bichette’s single.

The Angels’ Mike Witt (13-14) will pitch against the Twins’ Fred Toliver (7-5) tonight at 7:05.