Figgins drilled a two-run homer in the top of the fifth inning and, while it merely padded a lead as opposed to erasing a deficit, the blow added emphasis to a solid night by Escobar, who clearly fed off his teammate's support and struck out 10 batters.
With 13 hits, including four for extra bases, the Angels recorded an 8-2 victory over the Twins on Tuesday night to open the three-game series with only their second win in the last six games.
It improved the Halos' mark to 2-3 at the halfway point of a 10-game road trip, and 7-7 for the season.
"I don't think we're looking at anything that happened behind us," manager Mike Scioscia said. "We just need to pitch at this level like Kelvim was tonight."
His last time out, Escobar didn't put hitters away and paid the price by allowing eight runs, though only four of those were earned, and he took the loss against the Rangers. But against the Twins, Escobar was sharp early on and was able to carry through some tight middle innings.
"I didn't pitch good at all today, but Kelvim, he threw a helluva game," said Carlos Silva, who started for the Twins and took the loss. "I know he can pitch. People say the offense didn't do anything today but, man, if you saw those pitches that he was throwing. I don't think there was anything any offense can do to hit that guy. He was throwing so many nasty pitches."
After allowing just a walk in the first, Escobar struck out the side in the second and gave up his first hit when Lew Ford singled to lead off the third. Juan Castro followed with a single, but Escobar caught a bit of a break when Shannon Stewart looked at strike three and Castro took a big secondary lead at first base.
Catcher Jeff Mathis fired to first and the Angels caught Castro in a rundown, with second baseman Adam Kennedy applying the tag. Luis Castillo followed with a single to drive in Ford, but Escobar induced a ground ball out of Joe Mauer to end the threat.
The Angels handed Escobar the lead in the top of the fourth on RBIs by Orlando Cabrera's double into the right-field corner and Garret Anderson's single up the middle. He held the Twins scoreless in the fourth and faced his toughest test in the fifth.
After Kennedy lifted an RBI double to left and Figgins followed with his second home run of the year, Escobar allowed three straight hits to open the inning.
Ford doubled, stole third and scored on Castro's RBI single to left. Stewart singled and Escobar faced runners on the corners with none out. But where he found bats in his last start, Escobar painted the corners and was particularly sharp with his split-finger and breaking pitches.
Escobar got both Castillo and Mauer looking and then ended the threat by getting Tony Batista to hit a ground ball to short.
"I had a lot of confidence in my secondary pitches," Escobar said. "My location was better than last time. I threw the ball down better and my offspeed pitches were better."
Escobar (2-1) also struck out the side in the sixth as he reached double figures in strikeouts for the eighth time in his career. He established a career-high with 12 against the Blue Jays on Sept. 8, 2004.
"I was able to get the punchout when I needed it and that was huge," said Escobar, who allowed two runs on seven hits and two walks over 6 2/3 innings. "It is good when you're able to do that."
Scot Shields tossed the eighth and ninth innings to earn his first save of the year.
Pacing Escobar was the offense that was set down in order in three innings but hit in bunches to produce a runaway victory. Every Angels hitter got at least one hit except Vladimir Guerrero, who went 0-for-5.
Both Figgins and Cabrera went 3-for-5, while Kennedy was 2-for-4. Figgins and Kennedy also scored twice.
Figgins drove in three runs, two on his home run off Silva (1-2) that hit the facing on the upper deck in right field. It was Figgins' second home run in the last three games and continued a trend for the Angels' super-utility man.
Last season, Figgins established a career high with eight home runs but twice homered in consecutive games. He went deep in Boston on June 3-4 and later in Chicago on Sept. 10-11.
Figgins said he's been talking with hitting coach Mickey Hatcher, who has emphasized driving the ball when presented with the right opportunity.
"That type of swing I feel confident driving the ball," Figgins said. "I might hit a line drive too high and that is what I did."
Figgins is the offensive catalyst and will not be counted on for power but the Angels will take it.
"He has surprising power; he can put a charge in the ball," Scioscia said. "That is the last thing we need but when he squares it up he is surprising."
