ASS News » He still led the Los Angeles Angels to yet another

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Garrett Richards felt he was getting squeezed on balls and strikes, and he saw nothing special about his stuff. He still led the Los Angeles Angels to yet another victory in his breakout season. Richards pitched four-hit ball into the eighth inning to win his fourth straight decision, Kole Calhoun had a two-run double and the Angels beat the Minnesota Twins 6-2 Wednesday night for their fifth straight win. Richards (8-2) surrendered his third homer of the year, but recovered for his fourth victory in a dominant June. He issued five walks in his 100th big league appearance, but the right-hander stranded two Twins in the third and again in the seventh. "I did a lot of things I wasnt happy with, but I kept us in the game," Richards said. "I felt like I was getting squeezed a little bit, but that stuff is going to happen. Youve got to move on." Richards moved on splendidly to another impressive start that left him with a 1.06 ERA in June. He has yielded just four runs and 20 hits in 34 1-3 innings over his last five starts. "Hes got pretty good stuff," Twins catcher Eric Fryer said. "Its a pretty easy 96, 97 (mph) coming out of his hand and a sharp breaking ball, and it seemed like he was throwing that for strikes a little bit more often than what weve seen on the video." Minnesota got two more runners on with one out in the eighth to chase Richards, and Kevin Jepsen yielded Kendrys Morales RBI single before Albert Pujols alertly snagged Eduardo Escobars high-bouncing grounder to end the inning. Howie Kendrick had an RBI single, and Erick Aybar got two hits and stole two bases as Los Angeles won for the 14th time in 16 games at Angel Stadium, moving to a season-high 10 games over .500 at 43-33. The Angels are unbeaten on their homestand, matching their longest winning streak of the year. Manager Mike Scioscia jokingly credited the Angels 14 runs in their last two games against Minnesota to hitting coach Don Baylor, who returned to the dugout after breaking his leg while catching a ceremonial first pitch on opening day. "Our record and the standings are irrelevant right now," Scioscia said. "We need to continue to evolve as a team. ... It really has no bearing where youre playing or who youre playing, but how youre playing." Aybar, Grant Green and C.J. Cron each drove in a run for Los Angeles. Pujols had two hits and scored, while Mike Trout went 1 for 3 with a walk. Josh Hamilton, who hasnt homered since June 3, doubled and drove two balls to the centre-field wall. Oswaldo Arcia homered for the Twins, who have lost seven straight road games for the first time since September 2011. Minnesotas Yohan Pino (0-1) got through just three innings in his second major league appearance, yielding seven hits and five runs. "Our kid didnt really have an easy inning out there," Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire said. "They fought off an awful lot of pitches, fouled off a lot of pitches, and gave him some fits out there. Thats a good hitting team with some veterans who know how to do some things." Arcia snapped a 0-for-31 skid with his fifth homer in the second inning. Richards hadnt given up a homer in June, allowing just two in his first 95 innings this season. The Angels tied it in the bottom half when Aybar doubled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Green. Calhoun then drove in Cron and Chris Iannetta with a two-strike, two-out double down the right-field line. Minnesota rookie Danny Santana left in the third inning after feeling soreness his left knee while running out a double. The promising shortstop and leadoff hitter, who pulled up sharply while running into second, has a hit in 27 of his first 37 major league games. NOTES: Anthony Swarzak pitched three perfect innings in relief of Pino. ... Richards had never started against the Twins. ... Minnesota activated OF Aaron Hicks from the disabled list and optioned him to Double-A New Britain. Hicks strained his shoulder while diving for a ball June 7 in Houston. ... As part of a Halfway to Christmas promotional night, the Angels handed out more than 35,000 Santa hats while festooning the Big A with wreaths, garlands, fake snow and real reindeer. The crowd set the Guinness world record for the most people wearing the holiday headgear in the same place during the fifth inning. Mitchell Trubisky Youth Jersey . Goins is the early favourite to win the starting job at second base. Pillar is an outsider to secure a role off the bench, which becomes an even more difficult spot to win if the number of back up jobs is reduced by one. That happens if the Blue Jays decide to start the season with an eight man bullpen. Tarik Cohen Bears Jersey . The first of the three games will be played in Week 4, when the Oakland Raiders will take on the Miami Dolphins on Sept. http://www.bearsrookiestore.com/Bears-Tarik-Cohen-Jersey/ . The Extreme Heat Policy was enacted at Melbourne Park just before 2 p.m. Thursday, suspending all matches on outer courts until the early evening and requiring the closure of the retractable roofs at Rod Laver and Hisense arenas before play could continue on the show courts. Walter Payton Youth Jersey . Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane wanted to stay in Chicago and the Blackhawks wanted to keep the high-scoring forwards in the only NHL uniform they have ever known. Khalil Mack Bears Jersey . Moments after scoring and setting off another wild celebration at Minsk arena, Platt leapt into the arms of Belarusian captain Alexei Kalyuzhny.Rory McIlroy admits he needs to cut out the sloppy mistakes in his game after a disappointing third round at the Wells Fargo Championship. The defending champions hopes of a record third Quail Hollow title look in doubt after a one-over 73 on Saturday, where McIlroy mixed five birdies with four bogeys and a double-bogey during an up-and-down day.McIlroy is the only player in the worlds top five not to have claimed a worldwide victory so far this year, with a tied-third finish at Marchs WGC-Cadillac Championship his best performance to date. The world No 3 has twice broken the course record on his way to winning the tournament in 2010 and 2015, but feels hes some way away from being in serious contention this time around. I just havent been playing as efficient as I could be, McIlroy told Sky Sports. I feel like everything is sort of there, its just a matter of putting it all together and for the most part this year I havent been able to do that. McIlroys last win came in Novembers DP World Tour Championship There have been spells where it has been good and I have had a couple of chances to win this year, but I havent quite done that.Its a work in progress and Im trying to stay as patient as possible, but there are certainly times on the course where it does get frustrating! McIlroy carded five birdies, four bogeys and one double-bogey in his round Im maybe a little bit too far back butt at least I can go out tomorrow [Sunday] and give it my all and try to post a low one.ddddddddddddResuming six strokes off the pace on Saturday, McIlroy missed a seven-footer to save par at the first and dropped another shot after failing to get up-and-down at the fourth.Birdies at the par-five fifth and seventh were cancelled out by a double-bogey six at the ninth to see McIlroy reach the turn two over, before he fell further behind with a blemish at 11. The Northern Irishman is alongside Adam Scott on one under for the week Gains at the 12th and 15th were sandwiched between another three-putt at the 14th, with the Northern Irishman finishing his round in style and getting back into red figures by draining an 80-foot birdie at the 17th.Obviously I didnt get off to the fast start I was hoping for, being two over through four, McIlroy added. It was playing tough so to get back to even par through seven was good, but I let a couple of shots slip around the middle. I dont think it has been this week it has been all year, just making sloppy mistakes. I three-putted the first, I three-putted 11 and I didnt take some other opportunities that I gave myself.I came back well and I played the last four holes in two under to get in to red figures for the tournament.Watch the final round of the Wells Fargo Championship on Sunday from 6.30pm on Sky Sports 4 - your home of golf Also See: WATCH: McIlroys big birdie! Wells Fargo leaderboard Reaching the winners circle Golf live on Sky Sports 4 ' ' '