Joel Pineiro pitched seven superb innings and Bobby Abreu homered as the Los Angeles Angels kept pace in the American League West with a 4-1 victory over the visiting Minnesota Twins on Sunday.

Torii Hunter had two hits and an RBI for the Angels, who remained 3 1/2 games behind the first-place Texas Rangers.

Pineiro (6-6) came up with a stellar effort, allowing one run and five hits en route to his first win since July 9. The veteran righthander ended his four-game losing streak against Minnesota and improved to 3-8 lifetime versus the Twins.

Rookie Jordan Walden worked a scoreless ninth for his 28th save in 37 chances.

Abreu gave Los Angeles a 1-0 lead against Kevin Slowey (0-4) in the first inning with his seventh blast of the season.

Howie Kendrick doubled the advantage with an RBI grounder in the third before Hunter and Vernon Wells sealed the win with back-to-back, run-scoring singles in the eighth.

Joe Mauer returned from a two-game absence due to an upper respiratory infection and hit a solo homer for Minnesota, which has lost 13 of 17.