ANAHEIM, CALIF. – Rod Carew, whose retired No. 29 is posted under the giant right-field scoreboard at Angels Stadium, sat behind the Twins dugout to watch Game 1 of Thursday's doubleheader.
Don't be surprised if the Hall of Famer moves closer to his other former team's dugout for Game 2.
The Twins fell behind in the first inning, tied the score in the second, but then immediately gave up the lead for good, managing a very un-Carewlike zero hits over the final five innings to absorb a get-it-over-with 7-1 seven-inning drubbing.
The second game, with Jose Berrios on the mound but Rocco Baldelli absent from the dugout due to suspension, will begin at 6:10 p.m. CDT.
The Twins lost for the 12th time in 15 games, and their fifth consecutive road game, and also fell to 0-5 this season in seven-inning games.
Lewis Thorpe, summoned to start as the extra player added to the roster for doubleheaders, lasted four innings, and allowed four runs, though three of them were unearned due to Josh Donaldson's failure to handle David Fletcher's ground ball in the Angels' three-run second inning.
Phil Gosselin homered and had a three-run double off Thorpe (0-2).
The Angels added three runs off Tyler Duffey in the fifth inning, two of them scoring on Taylor Ward's home run to left-center.
Minnesota's lone run against Angels starter Alex Cobb was scored by Miguel Sano, who doubled in the second inning, moved to third on Willians Astudillo's single, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Rob Refsnyder.
The Twins flew 1,800 miles to get here Wednesday night, and will fly another 2,400 miles to Cleveland after the second game, a concession they made to make up the April 17-18 games that were canceled due to the Twins' COVID-19 breakout.
Duffey got a three-game suspension and an undisclosed fine for intentionally throwing a pitch behind Yermín Mercedes of the White Sox on Tuesday, but was able to play Thursday pending appeal.
Baldelli was suspended for one game and got an undisclosed fine as well.
