Santana drove in two runs, while Byron Buxton, Ryan Jeffers and Willi Castro each had an RBI to help the Twins win the opener of a three-game series and a six-game trip.
Ober (2-1) was charged with two runs on three hits over 7 1/3 innings with eight strikeouts to continue his recent domination after he gave up eight runs on nine hits over 1 1/3 innings of his season debut against Kansas City. In his four starts since, Ober has a 1.47 ERA over 24 1/3 innings, while allowing a combined 11 hits.
Left-hander Caleb Thielbar got the final out for his first save of the season and the second of his career.
Patrick Sandoval (1-4) gave up four runs (three earned) over 5 2/3 innings for the Angels, who lost for the seventh time in their last eight games. Nolan Schanuel drove in a pair of runs for Los Angeles and Zach Neto had an RBI.
The Twins took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on Santana’s home run to center field, his second. Buxton made it 2-0 with his RBI single in the third.
With Ober in control, the Twins added a third run in the fifth inning on a Jeffers single and made it 4-0 in the sixth when Santana drove in his second run of the game on a single.
The Angels finally got their first hit when Luis Rengifo hit a blooper to shallow center field just out of the reach of Twins shortstop Willi Castro. After a double from Zach Neto put two runners aboard, Schanuel ended the shutout bid with his RBI grounder to shortstop.
Schanuel added an RBI single in the eighth inning before Castro got the run back for the Twins on an RBI double in the ninth. Neto drove in a run for the Angels in the ninth inning.
Former Twins infielder Miguel Sano started at third base for the Angels and went 0 for 2 with two strikeouts. Before going unsigned and not playing last season, Sano was in Minnesota for eight seasons and hit 162 home runs.
Anthony Rendon to miss significant time
Third baseman Anthony Rendon said he has a high-grade partial tear of his left hamstring, with the update coming five days after he was placed on the injured list with a “strain.” It is expected to be a lengthy recovery for Rendon, who has yet to play more than 58 games in any of his previous four seasons with the club, although one of those was the shortened 2020 pandemic season. … RHP Chase Silseth (elbow) took part in a light throwing session.
Up next
Twins RHP Chris Paddack (1-1, 5.57 ERA) returns to the mound after a 10-strikeout performance against the White Sox on Monday, his most since June of 2021. Angels RHP Jose Soriano (0-3, 3.43 ERA) will make his fourth career start after not giving up an earned run over six innings Sunday against the Reds.