Angels Lock Down Twins

They have won 10 Gold Glove awards among them, and Friday night, center fielder Steve Finley, first baseman Darin Erstad and catcher Bengie Molina flashed just enough leather, arm strength and mental acuity to keep the Minnesota Twins at arm’s length.

Pitcher Paul Byrd was outstanding, allowing two runs and four hits in seven innings, and the bullpen put the clamp-down on the Twins, as Scot Shields threw a scoreless eighth and Francisco Rodriguez struck out two in the ninth for his 19th save.

But make no mistake: The Angels’ 3-2 victory over the Twins before an announced 25,920 in the Metrodome, their fifth one-run victory over Minnesota this season, was built on defense.

Finley, the five-time Gold Glove winner, robbed Joe Mauer of a home run in the fourth inning; Erstad, a three-time Gold Glove winner, made the correct split-second decision to snuff out the potential tying run in the sixth, and Molina, a two-time Gold Glove winner, threw out a runner attempting to steal second in the eighth, as the Angels increased their American League West lead over Texas to seven games.

The three also knocked in the three Angel runs, Molina with a double in the fourth, Erstad with a single in the sixth and Finley with a sacrifice fly in the sixth, but it was their glove work that drew the rave reviews Friday night.

“We had some defensive plays that won the game for us,” said Byrd, who improved to 9-5. “It was a nail-biter, but we pulled it out.”

When Finley was activated off the disabled list Thursday after missing three weeks because of a strained right shoulder, he said he wouldn’t hesitate crashing into walls or diving for balls. “As soon as you try to be careful,” Finley said, “you get hurt.”

Finley backed those words with actions Friday, racing to the warning track in center and leaping above the wall to make a back-hand snag of Mauer’s fourth-inning drive, preserving a 1-1 tie.

“He doesn’t win Gold Gloves for no reason,” said Erstad, a former center fielder. “It was a great read, a great catch, a huge play in the game.”

Finley crashed into the wall, but it was his chest, and not his shoulder, that bore the brunt of the collision. A forgiving wall in the Metrodome also absorbed some of the impact.

“This wall is great; it’s like a trampoline,” Finley said. “You know you can go full speed into it, because the wall gives and kind of throws you back. You can be more aggressive on walls like this.”

The Angels scored twice in the top of the sixth, the first run coming when Chone Figgins singled, stole second and came home on Erstad’s single to center. Erstad took third on Minnesota starter Brad Radke’s wild pick-off attempt and scored on Finley’s sacrifice fly to center for a 3-1 lead.

The Twins pulled to within a run, 3-2, in the bottom of the sixth when Luis Rodriguez led off with a single and scored on Shannon Stewart’s double off the right-field wall. Stewart took third on Bret Boone’s groundout, and Mauer walked.

With the Angel infield at double-play depth, cleanup batter Justin Morneau followed with a grounder to first. Erstad, deciding the ball wasn’t hit hard enough to turn two, threw home. Stewart, Minnesota’s speedy leadoff batter, was caught in a rundown and Angel third baseman Figgins chased him down before he reached the plate. With runners on second and third, Byrd got Torii Hunter to pop to second, ending the inning.

Still trailing by a run, Stewart led off the eighth with a walk off Shields, but Molina, who had thrown out only six of 26 base-stealers this season, nailed Stewart trying to steal with a perfect throw to second.

“He hasn’t thrown as consistently as he has in the past; he’s had some issues with his thigh and quadriceps,” Angel Manager Mike Scioscia said of Molina. “But he threw a bullet tonight. That was a clutch throw.”