Yanks Finish Off Sweep With 6-4 Win

(AP Photo/Jim Mone)

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
NYY	0	3	0	2	1	0	0	0	0		6	8	2
MIN	0	2	0	2	0	0	0	0	0		4	6	1

Winning pitcher - Jonathan Albaladejo (4-1)
Losing pitcher - Francisco Liriano (4-9)
SV - Mariano Rivera (23)

Make is 13 out of 15 for the surging Yankees as they completed their three-game sweep of the Minnesota Twins. The win also completes the season series sweep. With Boston losing to the Royals tonight up in Fenway, the Yanks are now tied for first in the AL East, though the Sox technically are ahead because of the head-to-head matchup, but still, they're tied.

Today's 6-4 victory over the Twins probably didn't go as Joe Girardi had planned, and was even ugly at times. Alfredo Aceves got knocked around a bit for 4 runs (3 earned) on 4 hits in just 3.1 innings pitched. He threw 65 pitches, with 41 finding the zone. The unearned run came via a Cody Ransom throwing error.

Hopefully this is the last time he starts. Aceves is a weapon out of the pen, and his versitility makes him extremely valuable. He's not going to be a great starter so the Yanks should leave him in the pen where he can succeed... They should have left him there in the first place.

David Robertson came in to replace Aceves in the fourth with the bases loaded and one out. After striking out Nick Punto for the second out he lost the strike zone and walked back-to-back hitters for two Twins runs, both charged to Aceves. One of the batters he walked was Matt Tolbert who is currently hitting a robust .178.

Eventually he got out of it by getting Joe Mauer to ground out. Robertson then retired the first batter of the fifth before he walked his third batter and was removed from the game. If he threw strikes consistently he would be a very good reliever, but until then the Yanks really can't trust him in a big spot.

The rest of the bullpen did a great job, holding the Twins to just two hits over the final 4.2 innings. Jonathan Albaladejo pitched 1.2 scoreless, walking one and striking out two. Phil Coke allowed a hit, a single by Joe Mauer, in two-thirds of an inning. Phil Hughes replaced Coke and continued his impressive run of relief work. He retired all four batters he faced, two on strikeouts. And Mariano Rivera came in to shut the door in the ninth for his 23rd save of the season.

The Yankees got three early runs off Twins starter Francisco Lirano in the second.After the Yankees loaded the bases on a walk, a hit batter, and an error, Lirano walked Ransom for the Yanks first run. Brett Gardner then grounded into a force scoring the Yanks second run. That was followed by a Derek Jeter RBI single.

Gardner and Ransom would also each drive in runs with singles in the top of the fourth, which at the time gave the Yanks a 5-2 lead.

After the Twins cut the lead to 5-4 in the bottom of the fourth, the Yanks came back with a very important insurance run in the top half of the fifth. The run came on Mark Teixeira's 21st homer of the season, and his first since all the way back on June 12th against the Mets, or better known as "The Castillo Game". I wouldn't be surprised if he has a big three games against his former team. That's how the score would stay as the Yanks went on to win their ninth straight road game.

Now the Yanks head to Los Angeles to finish off the first half with three games against the Angels. Game one is tomorrow night at 10:05 p.m. on the east coast. Joba Chamberlain looks to get a good start under his belt as he heads into the break after a shaky first half. He will be matched up against left-hander Joe Saunders.

	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Jeter, SS	4	0	1	1	1	0	2	.314
Swisher, RF	5	0	0	0	0	1	1	.239
Teixeira, 1B	4	1	1	1	0	2	0	.281
Rodriguez, A, DH	3	1	1	0	1	1	0	.247
Posada, C	3	2	1	0	0	2	1	.289
Cano, 2B	4	2	1	0	0	0	1	.304
Cabrera, Me, LF	4	0	1	0	0	0	6	.277
Ransom, 3B	3	0	1	2	1	1	1	.185
Gardner, CF	4	0	1	2	0	2	3	.286
Totals	34	6	8	6	3	9	15
BATTING 2B: Cano (23, Liriano), Cabrera, Me (13, Liriano). HR: Teixeira (21, 5th inning off Liriano, 0 on, 1 out). TB: Jeter; Teixeira 4; Rodriguez, A; Posada; Cano 2; Cabrera, Me 2; Ransom; Gardner. RBI: Ransom 2 (10), Gardner 2 (19), Jeter (36), Teixeira (63). 2-out RBI: Jeter. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Gardner. GIDP: Jeter. Team RISP: 3-for-10. Team LOB: 5. BASERUNNING SB: Rodriguez, A (3, 2nd base off Liriano/Redmond, M). CS: Gardner (4, home by Liriano/Redmond, M). FIELDING E: Aceves, A (1, pickoff), Ransom (4, throw).

	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Aceves, A	3.1	4	4	3	1	2	1	2.49
Robertson, D	1.0	0	0	0	3	2	0	2.53
Albaladejo (W, 4-1)	1.2	0	0	0	1	2	0	5.04
Coke (H, 9)	0.2	1	0	0	0	1	0	3.13
Hughes, P (H, 5)	1.1	0	0	0	0	2	0	4.01
Rivera, Ma (S, 23)	1.0	1	0	0	0	0	0	2.43

TWINS STATS

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Albaladejo-Coke-Hughes-Mo

HONORABLE MENTION: Cody Ransom (1-for-3, 2 RBI, BB)

Tomorrow's Game

Yankees @ Angels
Game Time: 10:05 p.m. | TV/Radio: YES, WCBS
RHP Joba Chamberlain (4-2 4.04) vs. LHP Joe Saunders (8-5, 4.44)