MINNEAPOLIS – Catcher Bengie Molina failed to hold onto a throw with two outs in the ninth inning, allowing the tying and winning runs to score on the error as the Minnesota Twins beat the Anaheim Angels 6-5 Wednesday.

Troy Percival (0-5), who hadn’t given up a run in his previous 37 innings against the Twins, walked Justin Morneau with two outs.

Shannon Stewart followed with a hard shot down the left-field line, his third hit of the game. Jeff DaVanon’s throw home beat pinch-runner Dustan Mohr, but Mohr collided with Molina, who couldn’t hold onto the ball. Stewart then came home with the winning run.

Molina was on the ground for several moments before teammates helped him to his feet.

Eddie Guardado (2-5) pitched two-thirds of an inning for Minnesota, which began the day one game behind first-place Chicago in the AL Central.

After wasting an early four-run lead, Anaheim went ahead 5-4 in the seventh on Juan Rincon’s wild pitch.

With the score 4-all and DaVanon on third, Rincon struck out Tim Salmon on what would have been the final out of the inning. But the low pitch hit the dirt and skipped past catcher A.J. Pierzynski, allowing DaVanon to score and Salmon to advance to first.

Ramon Ortiz, trying for his 16th win, took a 4-0 lead into the fourth before Matt LeCroy’s RBI grounder.

Minnesota tied it in the sixth on Luis Rivas’ RBI single, another run-scoring grounder by LeCroy and Jacque Jones’ RBI grounder off Francisco Rodriguez. The rookie reliever then struck out Torii Hunter to strand runners on second and third.

Anaheim regained the lead in the seventh after DaVanon’s one-out double off Carlos Pulido. J.C. Romero came in and struck out Garret Anderson, Rincon relieved and DaVanon advanced to third on a passed ball before scoring.

Grant Balfour, making his first major league start, gave up four runs, four hits and five walks in 2 2-3 innings, The rookie from Australia, who took Joe Mays’ spot in the rotation, walked three of his first four batters but escaped the first without allowing a run.

Run-scoring singles by Chone Figgins in the second and Molina in the third put Anaheim ahead, and Shawn Wooten hit a two-run homer in the third, a drive just over the glove of Stewart in left.

Notes: Balfour threw 66 pitches. … Gardenhire said RHP Rick Reed is scheduled to throw simulated games Friday and Sunday. Gardenhire said that if Reed’s back injury doesn’t flare up, the pitcher would be activated from the DL. … Jones hit a comebacker in the second that hit off the mound and popped up to Adam Kennedy. The second baseman barehanded the ball and quickly threw to first for the out. … Wooten, who has six homers, hit his first this year off a right-hander.

AP-ES-09-03-03 1658EDT