Berrios, Twins defeat Yankees
MINNEAPOLIS » Miguel Sano hit a three-run home run, Jose Berrios went strong into the seventh inning and the Minnesota Twins beat New York 6-1 on Wednesday to win their first home series against the Yankees in nine years.
Berrios (9-3) allowed only one run, his fewest in 11 starts, on a two-out single by Brett Gardner in the seventh before being removed.
Berrios improved to 6-0 in seven afternoon turns this season and helped drop the Yankees to 0-8-2 in their past 10 series.
Zack Granite sparked a sixrun surge by the Twins in the second inning against Yankees starter Jordan Montgomery (65) with a two-run single, his first major league RBIs.
Eduardo Escobar tacked on an RBI single before Sano crushed an 0-2 curveball into the bullpen for a 6-0 lead. The All-Star has
23 homers this year.
Montgomery (6-5) recovered and completed six innings, but the damage was done during the 38-pitch second inning. The Twins went 4 for 30 with runners in scoring position over the first two games of the series.
Montgomery was the first left-handed starter to lose to the Twins in eight matchups since David Holmberg on June 21 with the Chicago White Sox. In those past seven such games, the Twins scored a total of nine runs off those lefty starters.
NEW GUYS
The trio acquired by the Yankees in a trade with the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday, infielder Todd Frazier and relievers David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle, arrived at the ballpark around game time and soon joined their new teammates in the dugout.
Frazier entered as a pinch-hitter, striking out in the seventh inning and staying in the game at third base. Kahnle pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
ONE-SIDED
The previous time the Twins took a series from the Yankees anywhere was July 2013 in New York. Their previous series victory against the Yankees at home was August 2008 at the Metrodome.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Yankees: Frazier was the third player hit by a pitch, when Twins rookie Trevor Hildenberger plunked him on the right hand in the ninth. He stayed in the game.
Twins: CF Byron Buxton (strained left groin) has been “doing pretty well,” according to manager Paul Molitor, and remains on track to return on Tuesday when he’s eligible to come off the DL.
UP NEXT
Yankees: RHP Luis Severino (5-4, 3.40 ERA) will take the mound on Thursday at Seattle to begin a four-game series. RHP Felix Hernandez (5-3, 4.20 ERA) will pitch for the Mariners.
Twins: After a day off on Thursday, All-Star RHP Ervin Santana (11-6, 2.99 ERA) will take the series opener on Friday against Detroit. He leads the major leagues with four complete games and three shutouts. RHP Anibal Sanchez (1-0, 6.08 ERA) will pitch for the Tigers. Sanchez has walked only one batter over his past four starts.