MINNEAPOLIS _ The Twins trailed 3-2 through four innings on Sunday, and the game had a similar feel to recent ones _ that two runs was all the offensively challenged squad would muster
But the bottom of the batting order _ mainly Jake Cave _ came to the rescue.
Cave hit a game-tying RBI single in the fifth then added a two-run homer in the seventh to help the Twins to a much-needed 7-5 victory over the Angels at Target Field.
It ended a skid in which the Twins lost four of their previous five games. It allows them to head into Monday's scheduled off day on a positive note. And it allowed them to finish with a 6-5 record on their 11-game homestand.
It doesn't seem like the Twins played winning ball over those 11 games. The offense disappeared in four of those games, and the Twins scored just three runs against Los Angeles while losing the first two games of the weekend series.
Logan Morrison's two-run homer in the first put them ahead 2-1 but Twins right-hander Fernando Romero gave back the runs in the fourth on a RBI double by Jose Fernandez and a sacrifice fly by Chris Young.
The Twins entered Sunday 11th in the American League in runs scored. So a one-run rally was far from a sure thing. But the Twins surged in the fifth after Mitch Garver hit a one-out double to right.
Cave pulled a breaking ball from Angels starter Nick Tropeano to right, allowing Garver to score from second with the tying run. Ehire Adrianza followed with a shot down the right field line that slipped under Young's glove and rolled into the corner. Cave scored to put the Twins ahead 4-3. Adrianza was given a triple despite Young's misplay.
Two batters later, Eduardo Escobar doubled in Adrianza for a 5-3 lead. Escobar hit two more doubles in the game and leads the majors with 26 for the season. He has 100 games to break Justin Morneau's club record of 47 doubles set in 2008.
Cave, called up on Friday to give the Twins an extra bench player, then crushed a Jim Johnson pitch into the bullpens for a two-run home run in the seventh to pad the lead to 7-3.
Cave doubled in eighth to cap his big game.
The Twins acquired Cave from the Yankees during spring training after he was designated for assignment. He made his major league debut on May 19 with a bang _ hitting a two-run homer in the fourth inning during a loss to Milwaukee. He was sent back to Class AAA Rochester after appearing in three games. He swung the bat on Sunday like he doesn't want to go back this time.
Especially when his home run meant so much. For Fernando Rodney gave up a two-run single to Albert Pujols in the ninth before wrapping up the game.
