Angels' Ryan Johnson aims to turn around fortunes vs. Twins

Ryan Johnson will look for a rare positive result on Saturday afternoon when he takes the mound for the Los Angeles Angels in their game against the Minnesota Twins in Minneapolis.

Johnson (1-4, 6.99 ERA) has allowed 14 earned runs and six homers in 23 1/3 innings over five starts this season. The 23-year-old right-hander was charged with five runs (two earned) on six hits over four innings in a 7-5 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Sunday.

Johnson has one career appearance against Minnesota, receiving a no-decision in which he allowed two hits but struck out four in two innings in April of last season.

The Twins will turn to right-hander Joe Ryan (6-5, 2.85 ERA) to start Saturday's game.

Ryan, who will make his 20th start of the season, scattered three hits and struck out nine batters over seven scoreless innings in a 6-1 victory over the New York Yankees on Sunday.

He has pitched at least five innings in all but three of his 19 starts this season.

Ryan is 2-0 with a 3.13 ERA in four career starts against the Angels.

The Twins lost their second straight game on Friday, 4-3, in the series opener vs. the Angels.

Also on Friday, Minnesota acquired right-handed reliever Tommy Nance from the Toronto Blue Jays and also received international bonus pool money, sending catcher prospect Ryan Sprock to Toronto.

"That's one of those moves where it's like, OK, that's exciting," injured Twins star Byron Buxton told the Minnesota Star Tribune. "Me and Royce (Lewis) were talking. That was one guy we never wanted to face coming out of their bullpen. Little things like that get us sparked up in here. It seems like a small move, but to us, it's big."

Second baseman Kody Clemens is one home run away from 50 for his career. Since June 4, he's gone deep 10 times.

The Angels had lost eight of their last nine games until Friday's win.

With the tying run at second base in the bottom of the ninth inning, Los Angeles first baseman Nolan Schanuel made a leaping catch to rob a potential hit from Clemens that might have tied the score. The play ended the game.

The Twins got catcher Ryan Jeffers back from the injured list Friday, and he played all nine innings in the game.

Jeffers doubled and walked and said he felt no effects from a previously broken hamate.

"I had success on the rehab assignment, but that really wasn't what I was looking for," he told MLB.com. "It was more just, how does it feel? How do my ABs feel? Am I tracking the ball? Am I taking my walks? So, today, early on, getting some ABs in, putting some hard contact on the ball, felt like I was in the right spot."

Before Saturday's game, the Twins will honor longtime former broadcaster Dick Bremer by inducting him into their Hall of Fame.

Bremer was the team's lead TV announcer from 1983-2023.

--Field Level Media