It ended with Minnesota celebrating a wild 11-9 victory in the Metrodome on Friday, Twins left fielder Jason Kubel completing the cycle with a game-winning grand slam in the eighth inning, and Angels pitching coach Mike Butcher sitting in Scot Shields' locker, having a lengthy heart-to-heart talk with the struggling reliever.

"I blew the game," Shields said tersely, as reporters approached. "That's all I'm saying. Sorry."

Shields, the usually reliable setup man, relieved Jose Arredondo in the eighth with two on and the Angels holding a 9-4 lead.

The right-hander fell behind all three batters he faced, giving up a run-scoring single to Mike Redmond, a walk to Nick Punto and a two-run double to Denard Span that pulled the Twins within two runs, 9-7. Of Shields' 14 pitches, only five were strikes.

Manager Mike Scioscia, his bullpen nearly depleted, turned to Jason Bulger, who has spent most of the last four years at triple A for reasons that became abundantly clear Friday night.

Bulger can be effective when he's hitting his spots and pitching with confidence, but he is maddeningly inconsistent.

The right-hander struck out Brendan Harris looking at a nice curve and walked Justin Morneau intentionally to load the bases.

Up stepped the left-handed Kubel, who hit an RBI double in the first, a single in the third and a triple in the sixth. Bulger hung an 0-and-1 curve, and Kubel crushed it into the upper deck in right-center field for a grand slam and the ninth cycle in Twins history.

Brian Fuentes, the Angels' left-handed closer, never warmed up.

"We didn't want to go one-plus innings with Brian," Scioscia said. "Brian is going to be much better when he's contained to the ninth inning."

Shields used to own the eighth inning, but he is 0-1 with a 7.20 earned-run average in six games, with five walks and two strikeouts in five innings.