Yankees Keep Rolling Along in Minnesota

YANKEES 4

TWINS 3 

Life is good in the Bronx. Really good. The Yankees stomped past the Minnesota Twins for the second straight night, to earn their 50th win of the season, keeping them just one game behind the Red Sox for first place in the AL East. 

Anthony Swarzak made the start for the Twins tonight, as a late substitution for Glen Perkins, who was skipping the game due to illness. Maybe Perkins was aware of his 1-3 record with a 7.71 ERA against the Yankees lifetime, good reason to feel ill I guess. 

It didn't bother the Bombers, as the torched Swarzak early and often. In the second inning, Hideki Matsui, Jorge Posada and Robinson Cano all singled in succession to load up the bases. Nick Swisher grounded right to the pitcher, who threw to first for the easy out, allowing Matsui to score the games first run. 

Next, Brett Gardner singled up the middle to bring home both Posada and Cano to make it 3-0 Yankees. 

But, the Twins would not go away. In the bottom of the third, Denard Span was a pain in the neck for A.J. Burnett. First, Span led off the inning with a single, stole second, and later advanced to third on a wild pitch. Span finally scored on another Burnett wild pitch to cut the Yankees lead to 3-1. Next, potential A.L. batting champion Joe Mauer drilled a double to left to bring him Brendan Harris to cut the Yankees lead to 3-2. 

The Twins would never get any closer.  Burnett lasted six and a third innings, gave up only two runs while walking four and striking out two. He improves to 8-4 on the season. The Yankee bullpen held their own, as Phil Hughes and Mariano Rivera shut the door in the game's final two innings to peserve the 4-3 lead. 

The Yankees are now 12-2 in their last 14 games. Box Score.