Yankees 8, Twins 5
By Tyler Mason, The Sports Xchange
MINNEAPOLIS - Yankees designated hitter Alex Rodriguez homered three times Saturday for New York and catcher John Ryan Murphy added the go-ahead homer in the ninth inning as the Yankees rallied to beat the Minnesota Twins by an 8-5 final Saturday at Target Field.
Rodriguez's third homer of the game came on the first pitch of the ninth inning from Twins closer Glen Perkins, who had blown just one save in 30 chances prior to Saturday. It was the fifth career three-homer game for Rodriguez, whose third blast of the game tied things at 5-5.
Perkins proceeded to allow two more Yankees baserunners before Murphy connected for his second career home run, a three-run shot that just cleared the high fence in right-center field. That gave the Yankees an 8-5 lead, which New York closer Andrew Miller had no problem preserving in a scoreless bottom of the ninth.
Rodriguez's last three-homer game prior to Saturday was August 14, 2010 against Kansas City. Saturday also marked the 61st career multi-homer game of Rodriguez's career and the second this season. He has 677 home runs in his career.
Minnesota had a 5-0 lead after three innings before Rodriguez's first homer put New York on the board. His second, a two-run shot, made it a 5-3 game. The third and final home run was the biggest blow, as it set up the heroics from Murphy four batters later.
After hitting four home runs in Friday's 10-1 win over the Yankees, Minnesota's bats picked up where they left off.
Center fielder Aaron Hicks put the Twins on the board in the first inning when he connected for his fourth home run of the season.
Hicks took an 0-1 offering from Yankees starter CC Sabathia and sent it an estimated 420 feet to left-center field. The homer scored second baseman Brian Dozier, who led off the inning with a single.
Minnesota right fielder Torii Hunter added a three-run homer in the bottom of the third. His 16th homer of the year put the Twins up 5-0 as he took a Sabathia offering out to right field.
The home run was also the 208th of Hunter's career with Minnesota, passing the late Kirby Puckett for sixth overall on the franchise list.
Rodriguez got New York on the board in the top of the fourth when he jumped on a pitch down in the zone from Twins starter Tommy Milone and deposited it into the third deck in left field.
Milone settled down and allowed the one hit through five innings.
NOTES: Before Saturday's game, the Yankees selected the contract of RHP Nick Goody and added him to the 25-man roster. Goody was 1-2 with a 1.68 ERA in 48 1/3 innings for Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season. To make room for Goody on the 25-man roster, New York designated RHP Branden Pinder to Triple-A. INF Gregorio Petit was designated for assignment to clear space for Goody on the 40-man roster. ... Yankees manager Joe Girardi said New York will use a sixth starter for Tuesday's game in Texas to give the rest of the rotation a day off. The sixth starter has yet to be determined. ... Twins manager Paul Molitor said Saturday was just a routine day off for 1B Joe Mauer. The 32-year-old Mauer entered Saturday with a team-high 95 games played. He is batting .277 with 43 RBIs. ... Minnesota and New York conclude the three-game series Sunday at Target Field. The Twins will start RHP Kyle Gibson (8-7, 3.19 ERA) and the Yankees will counter with RHP Nathan Eovaldi (9-2, 4.43).