Yankees 10, Twins 4
MINNEAPOLIS -- Robinson Cano went 3-for-4 with two homers, leading the New York Yankees to a 10-4 win over the Minnesota Twins on Monday in the opener of a four-game series.
Cano began the scoring with a solo homer in the first inning, and he added a two-run shot in the third.
The Twins led 4-3 before the Yankees exploded for three runs in the eighth inning and four more in the ninth.
Cano led off the eighth with a double, and pinch hitter Ichiro Suzuki bunted for a single. Twins reliever Jarod Burton (1-6) threw a pick-off attempt wide of Justin Morneau at first, and Cano scored the tying run, with Suzuki making it to third. Suzuki then scored on Zoilo Almonte's single to left to put New York up 5-4.
The Yankees weren't done. The Twins' next reliever, Brian Duensing, threw a wild pitch to move Almonte up to third, and Almonte scored on Chris Stewart's infield hit for 6-4 lead.
The Yankees, who pounded out 14 hits in the game, began the ninth with two hits, and an intentional walk to Cano loaded the bases. Travis Hafner singled to score Brett Gardner, and Almonte singled off Duensing's foot, scoring Nix. Chris Stewart walked to score Cano, and a passed ball brought in Hafner.
Yankees reliever Joba Chamberlain (1-0) threw a scoreless seventh inning, and David Robertson struck out three Twins in the eighth. Mariano Rivera pitched the ninth in a non-save situation.
The two starters kept the game close. Minnesota's Scott Diamond gave up the two round-trippers to Cano but otherwise had one of his better outings. He threw 94 pitches in 6 2/3 innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on seven hits. He walked one and struck out five.
Yankees starter Andy Pettitte gave up three first-inning runs, then settled down. He lasted five-plus innings, throwing 102 pitches. Pettitte gave up four runs on six hits and four walks while striking out two.
Chris Parmelee broke a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the sixth with a solo homer that just crept barely across the fence in right, ending Pettitte's night.
NOTES: Since May 30, the Twins have hit 22 home runs in 17 home games, the third-most home-field homers in baseball during that span. ... Coming into the game, Minnesota LF Oswaldo Arcia led all AL rookies in RBIs (24) and extra-base hits (17) and was tied for first in total bases (76), home runs (six) and doubles (10). ... The Yankees are 15-12 (.556) versus left-handed starters this season, but they have lost their last five games versus southpaws. He went 1-for-4 with an RBI single Monday. ... Pettitte struck out Morneau in the fifth inning to become the all-time strikeout leader in Yankees history with 1,958, passing Whitey Ford.
