clarinews@clarinet.com (09/21/89)
MINNEAPOLIS (UPI) -- Tony Armas had three hits and two RBI Wednesday night to help the California Angels keep pace in the AL West with a 9-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins. The Angels have won four straight and trail the Oakland Athletics by 2 1-2 games. Jim Abbott, 12-11, notched his fourth complete game and first victory since Aug. 30. The left-hander yielded nine hits, two walks and struck out six. Minnesota starter Mark Guthrie, 2-2, gave up four earned runs, seven hits and two walks in six innings. California scored four runs in the seventh to take a 5-1 lead. Wally Joyner singled and advanced to second when third baseman Terry Jorgenson misplayed Chili Davis' grounder. Armas singled home the go-ahead run. Lance Parrish walked and Jack Howell was hit by a Guthrie pitch to force in another run. Kent Anderson greeted Twins reliever Mike Cook with an RBI single and Brian Downing's sacrifice fly brought home Parrish to make the score 5-1. California added two runs in the eighth. Joyner singled, advanced on a walk to Davis, and scored on Armas' single. Parrish's RBI single brought home Davis to make the score 7-1. Joyner's 16th home run, a two-run blast, gave the Angels a 9-1 bulge in the ninth. The Angels tied the score at 1-1 in the fifth. Davis doubled, advanced on Armas' single, and scored on Parrish's single. Minnesota took a 1-0 lead in the fourth. Dan Gladden singled, advanced on Abbott's wild pitch, and scored on Kent Hrbek's single.