The Twins haven’t been able to solve lefties for the early part of this season but seemed to have no such problem with Los Angeles Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi on Saturday.

Four straight hits off Kikuchi began the bottom portion of first inning. By the time it was all said and done, the Twins had collected six hits and scored three runs. They never looked back, chasing Kikuchi early in their 5-1 win over the Angels on Saturday afternoon at Target Field.

Kikicuhi lasted just two-plus innings, at which point he had given up four runs — but had flirted with much worse disaster. Nine hits and four walks meant the Twins were clogging the bases early in Saturday’s game.

Carlos Correa, who historically has hit Kikuchi well, had a pair of RBI singles in his first two at-bats. A handful of other Twins also had a pair of hits, including Jonah Bride, Ty France and Brooks Lee, each of whom drove in a run as the Twins won the first two in a three-game series that concludes Sunday.

In each of the first three innings, the Twins stranded the bases loaded. Through four innings, they had left 11 on, threatening to break the game wide open early. Though they never quite did, they had a healthy enough lead for starter Simeon Woods Richardson and their bullpen.

Woods Richardson lasted into the sixth inning, allowing just one run on a Zach Neto home run in the third inning off an 82.8-mph slider. Neto finished with three of the Angels’ five hits. At one point during his outing, Woods Richardson struck out four straight batters on his way to seven total.

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