New York Yankees defeat Minnesota Twins 4-3 – MLB Update
The American League Eastern Franchise New York Yankees maintained their 10-year tradition, snatching a home series from rivals the Minnesota Twins 4-3 at Yankee Stadium on Thursday, April 7.
The Yankees’ starting pitcher Allan James Burnett, having a 2-0 win record in Major League Baseball, tossed a disciplined six innings. Burnett, coming from a win against the Tigers on Saturday, threw 61 strike-out pitches of 99 and finished with a meticulous
4.09 ERA.
Burnett impressed his team-mates with five strike-outs allowing just two runs. He utilised his fastball which has given him plenty of strike-outs and many wins.
The veteran hurler received another tribute, this time from Joe Girardi. "It gave them something else to look at, and that's the importance of having another pitch. You cannot maybe sit on one pitch.” Girardi further added. “Now you've got something slow
going away from you as opposed to coming in to you against those left-handed hitters, and I thought that made a difference."
With two scoreless innings in the start of the game, the Yankees designed a different strategy in the third when Brett Gardner walked to first base and stole third on Derek Jeter’s ground ball to short-stop. Realising a chance to earn an advantage, Nick
Swisher tossed a sacrifice fly to right that motored Gardner to score.
The Twins struck back immediately in the top of fourth inning when designated hitter Jim Thome tied the game with an RBI single to deep centre. The game tilted to the Twins’ side with Jason Kubel’s RBI to right-field.
The Yankees could not digest their deficit and turned the game completely to their advantage in the bottom of inning. Andruw Jones, Martin and Gardner scored RBI singles to widen the lead to 4-2.
Twins’ starter Francisco Liriano after receiving four runs in the first four innings, tossed just one more inning and did not allowed any run. Jeff Manship relieved him for a scoreless 19 pitches followed by Jose Mijares and Dusty Hughes with shut-out innings.
Yankees’ hurler Joba Chamberlain relieving Burnett in the seventh inning received a run and turned the game into another twist. With all eyes open in the eighth, closer Rafael Soriano and Mariano Rivera pitched ace innings and earned a triumph for the Yankees.
The Yankees put in a good effort to limit the Twins’ offence and take a much needed victory. The Twins will be looking to improve their performance and try to get their offence to provide run support to their pitchers.
New York will travel to Boston on Friday to take on three scheduled games while Minnesota will play their next three games against the Oakland Athletics.
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