RECAP: Plouffe's 3-run HR lifts Twins over Angels

Ervin Santana pitched eight innings of four-hit ball against his former team, and the Minnesota Twins snapped both their four-game skid and the Angels' seven-game winning streak with a 3-0 victory over Los Angeles on Thursday.

Trevor Plouffe hit a three-run homer in the fourth inning for the Twins, who wrapped their six-game California road trip with bookend wins.

Santana (2-0) was outstanding in his fourth start for Minnesota after throwing 7 2-3 scoreless innings in Oakland last week. He spent his first eight major league seasons with the Angels, winning 96 games from 2005-12.

Garrett Richards (10-7) yielded four hits over eight innings in his second loss in three starts. The Angels had won 13 of 15 and 17 of 20 while climbing atop the AL West.

Coming off a shutout of Boston last weekend, Richards had retired 26 consecutive batters over two starts before Joe Mauer's two-out double in the fourth. After rookie Miguel Sano walked, Plouffe cleared the bases with his 13th homer.

Santana was suspended for the first 80 games of the season after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs, costing him half of the first season of his four-year, $55 million contract, the biggest free-agent deal in Twins history.

Santana struck out seven and didn't walk a batter. The Angels had two singles in the first inning, but couldn't string together anything significant while getting shut out for the sixth time this season.

All-Star closer Glen Perkins pitched the ninth for his 29th save, bouncing back from his first blown save of the season last week in Oakland.

The Angels outscored their opponents 44-9 during their longest winning streak of the season, but Santana allowed just one runner to touch second base - none after the first inning.

Richards, who escaped a bases-loaded jam in the eighth, still has a 2.34 ERA in his last eight starts.

Mike Trout went 1 for 4 with a sixth-inning single. He is 4 for 23 with two RBIs - both on solo homers - since winning his second straight All-Star Game MVP award last week.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Twins: RHP Ricky Nolasco is in a walking boot after undergoing ankle surgery. Minnesota doesn't know whether he'll return this year.

Angels: 3B David Freese went on the disabled list after breaking his right index finger on a pitch from Mike Pelfrey on Wednesday. Los Angeles recalled 3B Kyle Kubitza, who lined out as a pinch-hitter in the eighth.

UP NEXT

Twins: Phil Hughes (8-6, 4.15 ERA) opens a three-game home series against the Yankees.

Angels: They still hadn't revealed their starter for the opener of their series against Josh Hamilton and the Texas Rangers, but it's expected to be minor leaguer Nick Tropeano, who won his only start of the season for Los Angeles.