Byron Buxton and Trevor Larnach hit two-run home runs in the sixth inning, and the Minnesota Twins beat the New York Yankees 6-2 on Tuesday night in Minneapolis.
The Twins beat the Yankees for the fourth time in six meetings this year to clinch the season series for the first time since 2001. Minnesota has outscored the Yankees 27-8 in the four wins and is now 42-100 against New York since the start of the 2002 season.
Buxton snapped a 2-2 tie in the sixth by lining a full-count cutter into the first row of the left field seats to chase New York’s Nestor Cortes (3-1). Buxton entered Tuesday hitless in 16 at-bats against the Yankees this year; his fourth homer of the season occurred after Aaron Hicks was unable to field Jorge Polanco’s double to left to start the inning.
With two outs, Larnach hammered a changeup by Ron Marinaccio off the cement facing above the center field fence for his third homer.
Minnesota’s Joe Ryan (5-0) allowed two runs (one earned) on seven hits in seven innings. Ryan fanned seven, walked none and won his eighth straight decision.
Ryan became the first Minnesota starter to win his first five starts of a season since Jerry Koosman in 1979.
Donovan Solano and Polanco hit RBI doubles in the third after New York shortstop Anthony Volpe was charged with an error for the third straight game.
The Yankees lost their season-high third straight and were held to three runs or less for the 10th time in 12 games.
DJ LeMahieu hit an RBI single and Hicks scored on an error for the Yankees, who moved Anthony Rizzo into the second spot in the batting order and Aaron Judge to the third.
Cortes allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits in five-plus innings. Cortes struck out six, walked one and allowed more than three runs for the first time in 17 starts.
The Yankees started quickly as Judge singled, took second on a wild pitch and scored on LeMahieu’s single in the first.
Minnesota took a 2-1 lead in the third when Solano’s double scored Michael A. Taylor, who reached on Volpe’s fielding error. Solano then scored when Polanco doubled down the left field line past a diving attempt by LeMahieu.
Jorge Lopez pitched a 1-2-3 eighth and Jhoan Duran pitched a scoreless ninth for the Twins.
–Field Level Media
