Garland pitches Angels to 9-1 win

MINNEAPOLIS -- While the Angels await an early return on their $90-million investment in center fielder Torii Hunter, their trade for pitcher Jon Garland paid immediate dividends Tuesday night.

Garland, acquired in November from the Chicago White Sox for shortstop Orlando Cabrera, was masterful in his Angels debut, limiting Minnesota to one run and six hits in eight innings of a 9-1 victory at the Metrodome.

The sinkerball specialist induced 17 ground-ball outs, including two double plays, and needed only 95 pitches to complete eight innings. He had no strikeouts and one walk.

“He was in the [strike] zone early and often, and he expanded the zone when he needed to,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “We played terrific defense, especially on the left side of the infield.”

Garland appreciated the support, especially from third baseman Chone Figgins, who ranged far to his left to field Michael Cuddyer’s sixth-inning grounder on an in-between hop and fired an off-balance throw to second baseman Howie Kendrick to start a double play.

“That was unbelievable,” Garland said. “When the ball was hit, I was hoping to get one. To get rid of it that quick. . . . I told him to go home and watch ‘SportsCenter,’ because if that play isn’t on there, that’s a mistake.”

The Angels banged out 15 hits, three each by Vladimir Guerrero, Garret Anderson and Kendrick, and solo home runs by Mike Napoli and Casey Kotchman. Guerrero had three runs batted in, and Anderson had two.

Hunter, meanwhile, is hitless in eight at-bats in two games, though the former Twins star did finally reach base when he was drilled in the left elbow by reliever Juan Rincon’s first pitch of the ninth inning, sparking a bit of controversy.

“I must have taken some meal money from him or something,” Hunter said of Rincon, a teammate for seven years. “I don’t know what was going on.”

Did Hunter think there was a purpose to Rincon’s pitch?

“Maybe, maybe not,” he said. “I have mixed feelings about it. . . . They probably had a bet, ‘Who could hit Torii first?’ But I say thank you anyway. I scored a run, that’s what I need to get going.”

Rincon said his fastball simply ran inside.

“I don’t want to hit him, but it’s part of the game,” Rincon said. “He was a good friend, a teammate, but he’s on the opposite side now. Obviously, it was not on purpose.”

Hunter’s elbow was wrapped in ice, but he didn’t go for X-rays.

“If it swells up [today],” he said, “I’m playing.”

It has been an emotional two days for Hunter, who received several standing ovations in his return to the Metrodome on Monday and was presented with his seventh Gold Glove Award in a pregame ceremony Tuesday.

It’s obvious he left an indelible mark in the hearts and minds of Twins fans, but he’d like to start making an impression with his new club.

All around Hunter on Tuesday, there were contributions. After flailing at Livan Hernandez’s floaters in Monday night’s loss, the Angels seemed glad to face firm-throwing Boof Bonser, exchanging their fly-swatters for real lumber.

Gary Matthews Jr. singled with one out in the first, and Guerrero and Anderson each gapped run-scoring doubles for a 2-0 lead.

Napoli crushed a homer to center field and Guerrero had a run-scoring single in the fifth for a 4-0 lead. Guerrero had a run-scoring single in the seventh, Kotchman’s homer to right highlighted a two-run eighth, and Maicer Izturis had a two-run single in the ninth.

“After getting the early lead,” Garland said, “the biggest thing for me was going one-two-three in the first inning, so the guys could get back to the plate and hit.”

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mike.digiovanna@latimes.com