EditorsNote: deletes extraneous word in fourth graf; fixes to "Polanco and Cruz" in eighth graf; rewords next-to-last graf
Mitch Garver hit two of Minnesota's five home runs, and the Twins turned a triple play en route to an 8-6 victory over the New York Yankees on Monday night in Minneapolis.
Jorge Polanco, Nelson Cruz and Max Kepler also homered for Minnesota, which increased its major-league-leading total to 187. It was the eighth time this season that the Twins hit five or more home runs in a game, tying the major league record set by the 1977 Boston Red Sox.
Garver finished 3-for-4 with three runs, and Polanco had two hits and two runs.
The triple play, the 13th in Twins history and first since June 1, 2017, against the Angels, occurred in the first inning after Minnesota starter Martin Perez began the frame by walking both DJ LeMahieu and Aaron Judge. Edwin Encarnacion then hit a hard grounder to third baseman Luis Arraez, who quickly stepped on the bag and threw to second baseman Jonathan Schoop, who then threw a laser to first baseman Miguel Sano to complete the play.
Lewis Thorpe (1-1) picked up his first major league win after allowing one run on four hits with two strikeouts and no walks in 2 2/3 innings of relief. Taylor Rogers pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his 15th save.
LeMahieu finished 3-for-4 with a home run, a double and two RBIs. Mike Tauchman had three hits and scored twice, and Gio Urshela and Luke Voit also homered for New York.
CC Sabathia (5-5), who entered the contest with a 20-9 career record against the Twins including 4-0 in five career starts at Target Field, gave up seven runs (six earned) on six hits, four of them home runs, and two walks in four innings. He also struck out two.
Minnesota took a 2-0 lead in the first on back-to-back homers by Polanco and Cruz. It was the 20th home run of the season for Cruz, marking the 11th straight season he hit that many, the longest active such streak in the majors.
New York tied it in the third on Urshela's 10th homer of the season, a 405-foot drive into the bullpen in left-center, and an RBI single by Encarnacion.
Minnesota regained the lead in the bottom half of the inning with three runs on a walk and two singles. Arraez led off with a walk, and Garver and Polanco followed with singles to load the bases. Cruz then drove in Arraez when Gary Sanchez was called for catcher's interference as Cruz's bat hit Sanchez's glove on a swing. Eddie Rosario and Miguel Sano then followed with RBI fielder's choices.
Voit cut it to 5-3 in the fourth with his 19th homer of the season, but the Twins answered with solo homers by Kepler, his team-leading 25th, and Garver to put Minnesota ahead 7-3.
The Yankees closed to 7-6 on a two-run home run by LeMahieu in the fifth and an RBI single by Tauchman in the sixth, driving in Gleyber Torres, who had doubled. Tauchman scored on LeMahieu's home run.
Garver hit his second homer of the game in the bottom of the sixth, his 19th of the year, to put the Twins back up by two runs.
--Field Level Media
