MINNEAPOLIS -- Mark Teixeira crushed a two-run tiebreaking home run off Jesse Crain in the top of the seventh inning on Wednesday, lifting the Yankees to a 6-4 victory over the Twins in Game 1 of the American League Division Series at Target Field.
The slugging first baseman fought through a nagging right thumb injury that sapped his power in the final month of the regular season, but he mustered enough to turn on a hanging Crain slider and hook it inside the right-field foul pole, stunning an exuberant crowd of 42,302.
The Yankees had to battle out of an early hole, as ace left-hander CC Sabathia fell behind by three runs and then coughed up a lead by issuing a bases-loaded walk in the sixth inning, though he left in line for the victory thanks to Teixeira's timely shot.
New York's first lead of the night was produced by Curtis Granderson's two-run triple in the sixth inning off Twins starter Francisco Liriano, capping a four-run New York rally in the first outdoor playoff game in Minnesota since 1970, when the Twins still called Metropolitan Stadium their home.
After being stifled through five innings by Liriano's slider-heavy approach, the Yankees began to chip away as the left-hander's pitch count closed in on the century mark, shrugging off their nine previous losses against left-handed starters entering the Division Series.
Teixeira started the damage with a one-out double and advanced to third on a wild pitch, scoring on Robinson Cano's single to right. Jorge Posada then drove a two-out single over second baseman Orlando Hudson's head, bringing home Alex Rodriguez with the Yankees' second run.
Granderson -- whose struggles against left-handed pitching have been a major topic of discussion all season long, but were quieted by a mid-August swing renovation -- gave the Yankees their first lead of the night by belting a three-bagger off the tall digital scoreboard in right-center field.
It was the final pitch of Liriano's first career postseason start, as the hurler was charged with four runs on six hits, three walks and seven strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.
But Sabathia gave up the lead in the sixth during a Twins rally that began with a two-out walk to Jim Thome that snapped a string of 11 straight retired. Michael Cuddyer stroked a double to left field that Brett Gardner couldn't flag, and after Sabathia walked Jason Kubel to load the bases, he lost Danny Valencia on a four-pitch free pass, forcing in the tying run.
Cuddyer was also a thorn in Sabathia's side early, blasting a two-run home run in the second inning that landed amongst the trees beyond the center-field wall. Cuddyer's shot came after Sabathia lost control of a 1-2 fastball to Thome, clipping his former Indians teammate on the right shoulder for a hit-by-pitch.
Minnesota added a third run in the third inning, as Orlando Hudson singled and alertly hustled to third while Teixeira fielded a groundout to first base. With Delmon Young batting, Posada missed a pitch for a passed ball, putting the Yankees in a 3-0 hole at the time.
Sabathia, who started five games in last year's postseason for New York and went 3-1 with a 1.98 ERA, completed six innings in his first effort of the 2010 playoffs. He allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits, walking three and striking out five while hitting one batter.
Of the eight past Division Series in which the Yankees have won Game 1, they have gone on to win the series three times. In the history of the ALDS entering this postseason, teams that win Game 1 have won 16 of 30 Division Series.
The slugging first baseman fought through a nagging right thumb injury that sapped his power in the final month of the regular season, but he mustered enough to turn on a hanging Crain slider and hook it inside the right-field foul pole, stunning an exuberant crowd of 42,302.
The Yankees had to battle out of an early hole, as ace left-hander CC Sabathia fell behind by three runs and then coughed up a lead by issuing a bases-loaded walk in the sixth inning, though he left in line for the victory thanks to Teixeira's timely shot.
New York's first lead of the night was produced by Curtis Granderson's two-run triple in the sixth inning off Twins starter Francisco Liriano, capping a four-run New York rally in the first outdoor playoff game in Minnesota since 1970, when the Twins still called Metropolitan Stadium their home.
After being stifled through five innings by Liriano's slider-heavy approach, the Yankees began to chip away as the left-hander's pitch count closed in on the century mark, shrugging off their nine previous losses against left-handed starters entering the Division Series.
Teixeira started the damage with a one-out double and advanced to third on a wild pitch, scoring on Robinson Cano's single to right. Jorge Posada then drove a two-out single over second baseman Orlando Hudson's head, bringing home Alex Rodriguez with the Yankees' second run.
Granderson -- whose struggles against left-handed pitching have been a major topic of discussion all season long, but were quieted by a mid-August swing renovation -- gave the Yankees their first lead of the night by belting a three-bagger off the tall digital scoreboard in right-center field.
It was the final pitch of Liriano's first career postseason start, as the hurler was charged with four runs on six hits, three walks and seven strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.
But Sabathia gave up the lead in the sixth during a Twins rally that began with a two-out walk to Jim Thome that snapped a string of 11 straight retired. Michael Cuddyer stroked a double to left field that Brett Gardner couldn't flag, and after Sabathia walked Jason Kubel to load the bases, he lost Danny Valencia on a four-pitch free pass, forcing in the tying run.
Cuddyer was also a thorn in Sabathia's side early, blasting a two-run home run in the second inning that landed amongst the trees beyond the center-field wall. Cuddyer's shot came after Sabathia lost control of a 1-2 fastball to Thome, clipping his former Indians teammate on the right shoulder for a hit-by-pitch.
Minnesota added a third run in the third inning, as Orlando Hudson singled and alertly hustled to third while Teixeira fielded a groundout to first base. With Delmon Young batting, Posada missed a pitch for a passed ball, putting the Yankees in a 3-0 hole at the time.
Sabathia, who started five games in last year's postseason for New York and went 3-1 with a 1.98 ERA, completed six innings in his first effort of the 2010 playoffs. He allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits, walking three and striking out five while hitting one batter.
Of the eight past Division Series in which the Yankees have won Game 1, they have gone on to win the series three times. In the history of the ALDS entering this postseason, teams that win Game 1 have won 16 of 30 Division Series.