Yankees rally past Twins in 9th
MINNEAPOLIS -- Jacoby Ellsbury's two-run single with one out in the ninth inning capped a late rally for the New York Yankees in a 7-6 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Saturday afternoon at Target Field.
The Twins built a 4-0 lead off Yankees starter Michael Pineda before watching their advantage evaporate on two swings of the bat.
Alex Rodriguez hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning and Carlos Beltran added a two-run blast in the eighth to tie the game 4-4 before the Yankees tacked on three runs in the ninth.
The late explosion spoiled a solid start from Twins right-hander Ricky Nolasco, who allowed two runs on eight hits and a walk, striking out five over seven innings.
Yankees reliever Andrew Miller (4-0) got the win, pitching an inning of scoreless relief. Aroldis Chapman allowed back-to-back solo home runs in the ninth but retired got pinch hitter Trevor Plouffe to ground out to end the game for his 13th save.
Byung Ho Park hit a home run for the Twins and knocked in three runs.
Beltran and Didi Gregorius each had three hits for New York, which has won the first three games of the series and will go for their third four-game sweep of a series this season on Sunday.
With the game tied entering the final inning, the Yankees loaded the bases off Twins left-hander Fernando Abad. Right-hander Ryan Pressly entered and got pinch hitter Starlin Castro to strike out swinging for the first out before Ellsbury ripped a 96-mph fastball to right past a drawn in infield.
Brett Gardner added a sacrifice fly to left field to give Chapman a three-run cushion.
Abad (1-1) was charged with the loss after allowing three runs on one hit and two walks in one-third of an inning.
Eduardo Escobar got the Twins on the board with an RBI single in the second inning to give Minnesota a 1-0 lead.
Park hit a two-run blast in the fourth to give the Twins a 3-0 edge. For Park, who leads American League rookies with 12 home runs, it was only his second homer with men on base.
The Twins added an unearned run in the sixth on Park's sacrifice fly to center before New York's late offensive surge. Escobar and Kurt Suzuki hit a solo homers off Chapman in the ninth.
It was Escobar's second home run in as many days.
NOTES: Yankees 2B Starlin Castro got the day off after batting .214 in his last 33 games. ... Twins LHP Pat Dean was optioned to Triple-A Rochester following the game on Friday. Dean was 1-3 with a 5.54 ERA in eight games, including six starts. ... Twins LHP Tommy Milone was selected from Rochester. Milone was 0-1 with a 5.79 ERA in five games, including four starts, with the Twins earlier this season. He was 4-0 with a 1.66 ERA in 48 2/3 innings with Rochester. ... New York and Minnesota will conclude their four-game series on Sunday at Target Field. The Yankees will send right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (6-3, 4.90 ERA) to the mound against Twins right-hander Ervin Santana (1-7, 5.10 ERA).