Yankees-Twins: New York Routs Minnesota in First of Three
July 7, 2009 · A.J. Martelli · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
The New York Yankees put on a clinic against the Minnesota Twins Tuesday night.
The rout was on, as the Bronx Bombers squashed the Twin Cities by a score of 10-2, winning the first game of a three-game series.
“It’s a great way to start off the road trip,” Yankee manager Joe Girardi said to the press after the game.
“I love when everyone contributes; it makes it easier on the pitcher.”
Already leading 5-1 in the top of the sixth, the Yanks tacked five more on the board in the inning to put the Twins away.
In the five-run sixth, Robinson Cano singled to score Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira, Brett Gardner hit his fifth triple of the year to score Nick Swisher and Cano, and Francisco Cervelli doubled to score Gardner, giving the Yanks 10 runs.
Cano broke an 0-for-22 slump with runners in scoring position with his two-run single.
The Yanks scored their previous five runs in the first, second, and fourth innings.
In the top of the first, Hideki Matsui singled to score Derek Jeter, while in the top of the second Cervelli hit a sacrifice fly to score Cano and Teixeira singled to score Gardner.
In the top of the fourth, Rodriguez recorded an RBI with a sac fly to score Cervelli and Swisher drew a bases loaded walk that scored Jeter.
Rodriguez’s sac fly could have been much worse if it wasn’t for Twins’ centerfielder Carlos Gomez.
With the bases loaded, Rodriguez clobbered the ball deep to center, and it was undoubtedly leaving the yard.
Gomez leapt for it at the wall and robbed the Yanks’ third baseman of a grand slam home run, only allowing one run to score on the sac fly instead of four on a slam.
Aside from Gomez’s sparkling defense, the Twins were only able to cheer about their two runs, the first coming off the bat of Michael Cuddyer.
Cuddyer smacked his 14th homer of the year, a solo shot to right in the bottom of the third.
Five innings later, Brendan Harris knocked in the Twins’ second run with an RBI single to score Nick Punto in the bottom of the eighth.
The Yankees really poured it on, pounding out 16 hits in the game, while the Twins only reached base by way of a hit four times.
Every Yankee starter recorded at least one base hit on the night and they were issued a total of seven walks by the Twins’ pitching.
In addition to the solid offense, the Yanks got a good game out of starter C.C. Sabathia.
The Yankee ace went seven innings, gave up only one earned run on three hits, walked one, and struck out three.
“C.C. was outstanding,” Girardi said. “He went seven strong innings and didn’t throw a lot of pitches. He was 95-97 with his velocity all night and he located well.”
Sabathia notched win No. 8 of 2009, and now owns a season record of 8-5.
Scott Baker of the Twins took the loss and is now 6-7 this year.
Winners of 11 out of their last 13 games, the Yanks will look to keep the ball rolling in game two of this three-game series.
A.J. Burnett (7-4, 3.83 ERA) will take the hill for the Bombers, while Glen Perkins (4-4, 4.38 ERA) will start for the Twins.
Yankee Tickets
Shop Yankee
