It's not every day the Twins can finish off a series win at home against the Yankees. In fact, it hasn't happened in a while.
But the Twins finally pulled it off on Wednesday when they downed the Yankees 6-1 before an announced crowd of 33,380 to win a series against New York for the first time in Target Field's eight-year history.
Miguel Sano hit a three-run home run to cap a six-run second, and Jose Berrios won for the first time since June 21 as the Twins took two of three.
The Twins won a home series against the Yankees for the first time since 2008 at the Metrodome _ back when Glen Perkins was in the starting rotation. The Yankees were the only American League team to have not lost a series at Target Field before Wednesday.
The Yankees are 21-8 against the Twins at Target Field in the regular season. The Yankees also swept the Twins in the 2010 ALDS, winning the two games in Minnesota.
The Twins' pennant chances were helped a little bit this week as the White Sox traded Todd Frazier, David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle to the Yankees and the Tigers traded J.D. Martinez to Arizona. The Twins have 21 games left against depleted White Sox and Tigers teams. Detroit comes to town for a three-game series starting Friday at Target Field.
Berrios (9-3) was not locked in early. Catcher Chris Gimenez made two visits to the mound _ one during the second batter of the game _ and pitching coach Neil Allen also had a word with him. And this happened the second inning was complete. Berrios went to three ball counts three times in the second inning alone.
But there's nothing like a big inning by the offense to help a pitcher get comfortable.
The Twins worked over Yankees left-hander Jordan Montgomery (6-5) for six runs in the second inning, all after two outs. Zack Granite hit a two-run single for his first RBI in the majors, and Eduardo Escobar added an RBI single. But the big blow came when Montgomery hung a curveball to Sano that was demolished for a three-run homer, his 23rd, and 6-0 lead.
Suddenly, Berrios regained his command and retired 10 of the next 11 batters he faced. He threw just 10 pitches in the third inning and only five in the fourth as he returned to being the top pitching prospect the Twins think and hope he is.
Berrios carried a shutout into the seventh inning. In 6 2/3 innings, he allowed one earned run on six hits and two walks with five strikeouts. Brett Gardner's RBI single in the seventh drove in the Yankees' run with two outs, and drove Berrios from the game. Tyler Duffey struck out Jacoby Ellsbury to end the threat.
Taylor Rodgers and Trevor Hildenberger each pitched a scoreless inning. Yankees star Aaron Judge did not start, but pinch hit in the ninth and struck out.
Frazier made his debut for the Yankees, entering the game in the seventh and striking out before getting hit by a pitch in the ninth. Kahnle, pitched the eighth for New York.
The Yankees got Frazier, Kahnle and former All-Star closer Robertson from the White Sox for outfielder Blake Rutherford, their first-round pick last year; pitchers Tyler Clippard and Ian Clarkin; and outfielder Tito Polo.
