American League Game Summary - Minnesota at LA Angels of Anaheim

Anaheim, CA (Sports Network) - Torii Hunter hit a two-run homer and drove in three, C.J. Wilson pitched into the eighth inning and the Angels defeated the Twins, 4-3, on Monday in the opener of a three-game series.

Kendrys Morales went 2-for-3 with a run scored while Albert Pujols doubled and also crossed the plate for the Angels, who had dropped six of their last seven games coming in.

Wilson (3-2) was charged with three runs - all in the eighth inning -- on five hits and a walk and Scott Downs recorded the final four outs for his second save of the season.

Alexi Casilla went 3-for-4 with an RBI double for Minnesota, which fell to 6-16. Nick Blackburn (0-3) allowed three runs on seven hits over six innings to suffer the loss.

Hunter followed Pujols' double with a two-out RBI single in the first and struck again in the fourth, belting a homer to left-center after Morales began the frame with a single.

"I've been having good at bats," said Hunter. "I'm hoping it will be contagious."

Chris Iannetta added a solo shot in the seventh for a 4-0 lead before Wilson ran into trouble in the eighth. He hit Chris Parmelee to start the inning and Casilla followed with a run-scoring double to left.

Denard Span's subsequent single plated Casilla and Wilson was relieved after inducing Jamey Carroll into a fielder's choice groundout. Josh Willingham greeted LaTroy Hawkins with a base hit and Sean Burroughs' fielder's choice groundout placed runners at the corners. Danny Valencia's line drive single past shortstop Erick Aybar made it 4-3, but Downs retired Ryan Doumit to preserve the lead, then grounded out Span after Casilla's two-out single in the ninth.

"We were in the ball game until the end," said Twins manager Ron Gardenhire. "We just couldn't get that one run to tie it."