Torn Twins Torched

Andy Pettitte’s cutters were crisp and his curveballs crafty as the veteran Yankee southpaw two-hit the Minnesota Twins in a commanding 7-1 New York victory yesterday afternoon. Mark Teixeira and Jorge Posada led the Bomber offense with a pair of two-run seventh inning blasts off the Twins’ bullpen. Stingy starter, Francisco Liriano, tossed six innings and allowed three runs, but Minnesota failed to conquer the Yankees in New York for the tenth straight time. The Yankees improved to 24-12 on the young year and 7-1 against the Twins.
Pinstriped Pettitte was vintage in his first return to the mound since a 10 day stint on the disabled list. The 37 year old lefty won his fifth game while shutting out the Twins through 6 1/3 innings. Pettitte walked three, struck out two and left the mound with a 3-0 lead in the seventh. The Yankee ace is tied for the league lead in wins and owns the lowest ERA of his career at 1.89 this season. Pettitte required just 22 batters in Saturday’s win over Minnesota. The Yankees defense helped keep runners off base with outstanding fielding in aid of Andy. Brett Gardner’s diving shoestring stab stopped leadoff man, Denard Span, from reaching base on a hard liner during the first frame. Nick Swisher added his own pretty catch with a sparkling third inning grab to rob Drew Butera of an extra base hit.
New York plated two runs to provide Pettitte with a small cushion through two innings. All-star third baseman, Alex Rodriguez, continued his Twins’ pounding with an RBI single in the first inning. Derek Jeter knocked home the second Yankee run in the second frame for his 23rd of the season. The Yankees scored again in the sixth as they chipped away at a settled-in Liriano. Liriano allowed nine hits and fanned seven, including striking out the side twice. The Minnesota moundsman served up a Marcus Thames single in the sixth, yielding his third earned run. Pettitte survived a tough test in the top of the sixth as his control wavered, but the lefty held on to get out of the inning unscathed.
The Twins were unable to dent New York’s pitching until the eighth when the game was already out of reach. Jesse Cain and Ron Mahay severed any chance for the Twins to come back. Cain was summoned in the seventh from Ron Gardenhire’s bullpen. The reliever walked Swisher and gave up a Teixeira tater, both on full counts. Gardenhire pulled Cain after the hurler allowed Rodriguez to double and induced a Robinson Cano groundout. Mahay took over the hill with excruciating results for the Twins. Posada drove Mahay’s 1-1 offering over the centerfield wall for a 7-0 New York advantage. It was the backstop’s eighth homer and one of three hits on the afternoon. Minnesota put their only run on the board during a three hit eighth inning. DH Joe Mauer singled off Boone Logan for one of seven Twins’ hits. Logan allowed four hits in the ten batters he faced but the Bomber bullpen kept the win in tact. The series concludes today in New York with Sergio Mitre scheduled to start against Minnesota’s Nick Blackburn. Mitre is seeking his first win of the season. The righty is starting because of Wednesday’s doubleheader. Blackburn, also a righty, is coming off his best start of the season, a seven inning shutout over Baltimore. The Twins will try to prevent a series sweep on the road and end the incredible current Yankee run against their ballclub.

Parting Points: Poem of the day- “Miracles” by Walt Whitman