Yankees 8, Twins 7 (10 innings)
NEW YORK -- Chase Headley had a bases-loaded groundout with nobody out in the bottom of the 10th inning, lifting the New York Yankees to an 8-7 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Monday night.
New York opened the 10th with doubles from rookie first baseman Greg Bird and catcher Brian McCann against Glen Perkins (1-3) in a span of five pitches. After Perkins intentionally walked right fielder Carlos Beltran, Headley came up with Minnesota using a five-man infield alignment and slapped a ground ball to shortstop Eduardo Nunez, who did not field it cleanly and pinch-runner Brendan Ryan scored.
Closer Andrew Miller (1-2) struck out two in the 10th for his first victory with the Yankees. He was New York's sixth reliever after spot starter Bryan Mitchell took a line drive from shortstop Eduardo Nunez off his face in the second inning and was diagnosed with a broken nose.
The Yankees won after blowing leads of 3-0 and 5-4. They also won after leaving the bases loaded in the seventh against Casey Fien.
New York reached the 10th in a 7-7 deadlock after Beltran hit his third big home run in four games. After hitting timely home runs during the weekend in Toronto, Beltran erased a 7-5 deficit by hitting a two-run homer off left-hander Brian Duensing.
The Twins were unable to win for the fifth time in seven games despite having 16 hits and getting solo home runs from designated hitter Miguel Sano, center fielder Aaron Hicks and third baseman Trevor Plouffe.
Besides the tying home run from Beltran, McCann hit a three-run homer and added a two-run single off right-hander Kyle Gibson.
Gibson lasted five-plus innings and was charged with six runs and four hits. He exited after issuing a leadoff walk to first baseman Mark Teixeira, who left the game with a bruised right lower leg.
New York opened a 3-0 lead with two outs in the first when McCann drove an 0-2 fastball from Gibson into the right-field seats for his 21st home run of the season.
The Yankees lost Mitchell to a facial injury when Nunez's line drive up the middle hit him in the face and went into the outfield as Eddie Rosario scored. Mitchell immediately fell to the ground and began bleeding before exiting.
The Twins scored three times off Caleb Cotham to take a short-lived 4-3 lead with one out in the third.
Miguel Sano drove a first-pitch fastball into the left-field seats for his eighth home run of the season, and three batters later a bloop single by Rosario gave Minnesota its first lead.
After Rosario made two defensive plays by throwing out center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury at the plate and making a sliding catch on a sinking liner by first baseman Mark Teixeira, the Yankees took a 5-4 lead when McCann hit a two-run single with two outs in the third.
Minnesota tied the score a second time when Hicks opened the fourth with his eighth home run of the year. The Twins took their second one-run lead when Plouffe opened the fifth with his 18th home run this season.
NOTES: New York manager Joe Girardi said he found out Monday from LHP CC Sabathia about his near fight outside a Toronto nightclub over the weekend. Girardi did not offer any comment or say whether Sabathia would face any disciplinary action from the team. ... Minnesota manager Paul Molitor said he found out about New York changing its rotation Sunday, and it allowed him extra time to prepare for RHP Bryan Mitchell on the plane. ... New York RHP Michael Pineda (right forearm) said he felt fine after throwing 45 pitches in a rehab game for Double-A Trenton on Sunday. The Yankees have not decided what's next for Pineda, though another rehab game is likely. ... Minnesota OF Byron Buxton was named the International League Player of the Week after batting .400 in eight games for Triple-A Rochester.