Twins Top Angels, 9-8, on Error

Putting the final touch on a long, strange game, Rich Becker scored on third baseman Spike Owen’s throwing error with two outs in the top of the 10th inning Sunday to give Minnesota a 9-8 victory over the Angels.

Becker was hit by Mark Holzemer’s pitch to start the 10th and went to second on Matt Walbeck’s groundout. One out later, Matt Lawton grounded to third. Becker avoided Owen’s tag and scored the go-ahead run when Owen’s throw to first was in the dirt.

The Twins, who made up a 7-2 deficit, tied it at 8-8 in the ninth when pinch-hitter Dan Mastellar led off with a homer off reliever Lee Smith. Smith blew his fourth save in 37 chances.

Dave Stevens (4-3) pitched three innings of one-hit ball, and Pat Mahomes got the final out for his second save in the 4 hour, 25 minute game.

Holzemer (0-1) was the Angels’ ninth pitcher.

Kirby Puckett drove in three runs for the Twins, but the designated hitter was pressed into infield duty as Minnesota made wholesale changes late in the game. Puckett began the ninth at second base, moved to shortstop, then to third before the inning was over. In the 10th, he switched back to second.

California’s Jim Edmonds drove in his first runs in over two weeks with a three-run homer and an RBI single.

Edmonds, who had been bothered by a strained back and hadn’t had an RBI since Aug. 25, hit his 31st homer in a six-run outburst against Oscar Munoz in the fourth. Edmonds, who was leading the league in RBIs before his slump, now has 101.

The Angels went ahead 8-7 in the sixth when Greg Myers singled and scored on pinch-hitter Mike Aldrete’s groundout.

California appeared to take command with the big fourth inning off Munoz, when they had four hits and also got the help of a fielding error by center fielder Lawton. Four of the Angels’ runs were unearned in the inning.

Minnesota rebounded from the five-run deficit by scoring three in fifth off Angels starter Jim Abbott and two in the sixth off Mike Bielecki. Chuck Knoblauch’s two-run single off Rich Monteleone tied it at 7-7.