Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - Joe Saunders scattered four hits over eight shutout innings and Howie Kendrick scored the game's lone run on a wild pitch, as the LA Angels of Anaheim squeaked out a 1-0 win over the Minnesota Twins at the Metrodome.

Saunders (1-0) struck out four and walked just one over eight frames, throwing just 80 pitches and relying heavily on the ground ball to work his way out of trouble and out-duel Twins rookie right-hander Nick Blackburn.

"It's nice to get off to a great start," said Saunders. "It's nice to, you know, get some early wins for the team. I stepped up tonight. That's my job, and that's what I like to do."

Torii Hunter and Gary Matthews had two hits apiece for the Angels, who managed seven as a team, but needed Kendrick's seventh-inning scamper across the plate to give their lefty starter the win.

Blackburn (0-1) was the tough-luck loser in his first major-league start, allowing just five hits in seven innings while fanning six and walking one.

"You want to win a game like that when your pitcher throws so well," Twins first baseman Justin Morneau said. "You tip your hat, sometimes, to the other guy."

Kendrick led off the seventh with an infield single to short, then moved up on Jeff Mathis' sacrifice. Erick Aybar's soft grounder to short enabled Kendrick to advance to third, and he then scampered home when Blackburn's pitch to Figgins spun wildly into the dirt and away from catcher Mike Redmond.

LA threatened for more in the eighth, but Al Reyes came on for Matt Guerrier and escaped a one-out, bases-loaded jam with an inning-ending 6-3 double play.

Minnesota got its leadoff man on for the third straight inning when Craig Monroe walked to start the eighth, but Saunders got his third double-play ball of the night, effectively eliminating another threat.

Francisco Rodriguez earned his first save of the season with a scoreless ninth, though he too walked the first batter of the inning.

Blackburn walked Chone Figgins and gave up a single to Matthews to start the third, but wiggled his way out of the jam by getting Vladimir Guerrero to chase a pair of hard sliders and then inducing ground-ball outs from Garret Anderson and Hunter.

Saunders also continued to operate without much tumult, erasing a fourth- inning leadoff single by the fleet-footed Carlos Gomez by getting Brendan Harris to hit into a double play.

Morneau helped Blackburn in the fifth by making a fine stop of a potential Figgins double down the right-field line, then finishing the play with a nonchalant backhand flip to his covering pitcher.