The Angels could not solve Minnesota Twins rookie Tyler Duffey on Sunday, and as a result their pursuit of a playoff spot got a little more complicated.
Duffey gave up three hits and struck out seven in seven shutout innings to lead the Twins to an 8-1 victory at Target Field, dropping the Angels 2-1/2 games behind Houston for the second American League wild-card spot with 13 games left. Minnesota is also 2-1/2 games back.
The Angels open a crucial three-game series at Houston on Monday night. The Astros swept a three-game series from the Angels at home in late July and appear to have recovered from a five-game losing streak with a back-to-back wins over Oakland on Saturday and Sunday.